WATER QUALITY MONITORING

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HEALTH DEPARTMENT ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DIVISION
WATER SUPPLY AND QUALITY CONCERNS IN THE
GRANITE RIDGE AREA
Allen J. Stroh, MPA, REHSDirector of
Environmental Health
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Background

• Granite Ridge Area is Underlain by Fractured
• Granite Formations
• Water collects in fractures with limited storage
  capacity
• Health Concerns
• Water outages or shortages
• Poor sanitation
• Water Quality Can Fluctuate
• Nitrate Blue Baby Syndrome
• Arsenic Cancer, circulatory neurological
  damage, affect diabetes hypertension

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What Do We Regulate?

• Single Connection Wells
• Only regulate initial well construction
• Do not regulate water quality or ongoing use
• Small Water Systems (2 14 connections)
• Regulate quality and quantity under mandate of
  State Health Safety Code, California Code of
  Regulations and the Monterey County Code
• Public Water Systems (15 199 connections)
• Regulate quality and quantity under mandate of
  State Health Safety Code and California Code of
  Regulations
• Water Systems with 200 Connections or More
• Regulated by the California Department of Public
  Health

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How Big is the Problem in the Granite Ridge
Project Area?

• Approximately 1550 people served by water systems
  are affected by water quality issues near or at
  the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL)
• 123 water systems in the Granite Ridge area in
  addition to many unregulated private wells
• Undetermined number of water systems and numerous
  private wells are currently experiencing water
  shortage or no water
• Reluctance to report outages - problem may be
  much greater than limited data indicates

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How Big is the Problem in the Granite Ridge
Project Area? (Cont)

• 22 of the water systems exceed the MCL for
  Nitrates
• Additional water systems are only slightly below
  but near the MCL for
• Nitrates
• 11 of the water systems exceed the new Arsenic
  MCL of 10 ppb
• Additional water systems are currently only
  slightly below the MCL for
• Arsenic

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How Big is the Problem in the Whole of North
County?

• 90 of the Water Systems Exceed Nitrate MCL
• 25 More Water Systems are between 41-45 ppm
• 32 of the Water Systems Exceed the new Arsenic
  Level of 10 ppb
• 16 More Water System are between 6-10 ppb
• Approximately 4,420 people served by water
  systems are affected by water quality near or at
  MCL
• Unknown number of people using private wells have
  contaminated water

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What are We Doing About Non-Compliant Water
Systems?

• Our Progressive Enforcement Program
• May Include the Following
• Non-Compliance Notification
• Quality failure Bottled Water Order
• Outage/Shortage of water Obtain alternative
  source of water
• Compliance Order
• Citation may result in heavy fines and
  enforcement costs
• Administrative Hearing
• Referral for Prosecution

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What are the Compliance Options?

• Non-Compliant Water Systems Typically Face Unique
  Sets of Circumstances Which Require Varied
  Solutions to Achieve Permanent Compliance. The
  following are various Compliance Options
• Participation in a Regional Consolidation Project
• Consolidation with a Neighboring Compliant Water
  System
• Drill a New Well
• Install a Treatment System on an Existing Well
• The Health Department Will Provide Guidance for
  Public Water Systems in Identifying Bond/Loan
  Opportunities

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What are the Benefits of Participation in a
Regional or Local Consolidation Project?

• Economy of Scale
• Professional Water System Management
• Water systems wont have to maintain a well in
  regional project
• Reliable Water Source
• Source wells can be drilled where there is
  quality water in quantity!
• Water blending may be feasible

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What are Some of the Considerations Regarding the
Drilling of a New Well?

• Some Systems May Not Have Access to an Alternate
  Well Site
• The Only Alternate Well Site May be in the Same
  Granite Formation as the Existing Non-Compliant
  Well Creating the Following Risks
• New Well Does Not Pump Sufficient Water
• New Well Water is Also Contaminated
• Drilling a New Well May Become a Tremendous
  Financial Burden, Especially if the New Well is
  Not Successful or Also Becomes Non-Compliant in a
  Few Years

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What About Treatment ?

• Water Treatment Systems are relatively complex to
  properly operate and expensive to install and
  maintain
• Complex treatment trains
• Can include pretreatment, oxidation, pH
  adjustment, coagulant feed, filtration, backwash,
  pH readjustment
• Generally require a knowledgeable and qualified
  operator
• Liquid or Solid Waste Disposal is generally
  required and may be costly
• Ongoing OM is expensive
• OM may be time consuming for those responsible
  for a water system
• Treatment systems are warranted for a certain
  lifespan and need expensive replacement
  periodically

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So What Should We Do?

• Contaminated Drinking Water Puts You and Your
  Family at Risk
• State and County Codes Require Water Systems to
  Have a Permanent Reliable Source of Potable
  Water. Bottled Water and Water Hauling Can Only
  Be Allowed as Short-Term Interim Solutions
• Non-Compliant Water Systems Must Come into Full
  Compliance with the Law
• The Monterey County Health Department Continues
  to Urge Support for a Regional Water System
  Consolidation Project in the Granite Ridge Area

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Need More Information?

• Handouts on table in back
• Visit our website at
• http//www.co.monterey.ca.us/health/EnvironmentalH
  ealth/waterProtect.htm
• Call the Monterey County Environmental Health
  Divisions Drinking Water Protect Services (DWPS)
  at [phone]
• Thank you!