Water district to switch disinfectant

By: JOSE CARVAJAL - Staff Writer | Friday, September 1, 2006 10:44 PM PDT ∞

LAKE ELSINORE ---- Nearly two months after being hit with a citation from the state for having too much of a certain contaminant in its water, the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District is planning to switch next week the disinfectant it uses to treat its water supply.

Beginning Tuesday, the district will begin a weeklong transition from chlorine to chloramine, a disinfectant that should result in higher-quality water, district officials said. As part of the process, crews will be opening fire hydrants throughout the district and flushing out its water system.

Though chloramine is generally safe, water district officials warn that patients undergoing kidney dialysis may be at risk if they drink water disinfected with chloramine. Also, chloramine is more toxic to fish than chlorine is, so aquarium water should be treated before it is used.

Water board President Phil Williams said Friday that the switch will result in the reduction of trihalomethanes, a by-product that shows up when chlorine is used to disinfect water. The district was recently cited by the state Department of Health Services for having high levels of that contaminant, he said.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, some people who drink water with excessive amounts of trihalomethanes over the course of several years may experience problems with their liver, kidney or central nervous system. There may also be an increased risk of getting cancer.

The district has been planning to switch to chloramine since 2000, Williams said, when it first learned that stricter federal standards were coming down the pike. But though it tried to complete the change by the time the standards took effect, he said, the district was slowed along the way.

Because every water agency in the country had to meet the new standards, Williams said, there was a high demand for chloramine systems. The district had to wait until it could get its hands on the system.

"We have been in the process of trying to complete this and it's been very difficult," he said.

And though it was trying to switch to chloramine, Williams added, the state still had to cite the district for being in noncompliance. Even if it barely exceeded federal standards, he said.

"It's a really minute change and technically, when you're dealing with water and safety, you have to comply," he said. "They have to, by law, give us a citation."

District engineer Phil Miller said Friday that in the period this year for which the district was cited, tests showed that the district barely exceeded the standards: There were 81 parts per billion of trihalomethanes in the water, whereas federal standards allow up to 80 parts per billion.

"It was just our luck," Miller said.

The district has spent more than $4.3 million preparing for the switch to chloramine, which has included the construction of several facilities where the disinfecting will take place. By the time the changeover is complete, he said, the district's water should taste and smell better.

"You actually get better-tasting water that's safer," Miller said.

Those seeking information on the district's switch to chloramine are encouraged to visit the district's Web site, www.evmwd.com, or call 674-3146, Ext. 8344.

Contact staff writer Jose Carvajal at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2624, or jcarvajal@californian.com.

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