Contaminated Reservoir To Be Emptied In Los Angeles

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Main Category: Water - Air Quality / Agriculture
Article Date: 16 Dec 2007 - 18:00 PDT

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Levels of bromate, a carcinogen, have become so high in the Silver Lake and Elysian reservoirs that authorities are having to drain over 600 millions of gallons of water. Bromate levels have risen due to combination high sunlight exposure, naturally present groundwater bromate, and chlorine.

The six-hundred people who get their water supply from these two reservoirs are getting their water from the Ivanhoe reservoir.

Draining reservoirs is the last thing drought-stricken Los Angeles needs at the moment.

Authorities say consumption of water sourced from these reservoirs is not currently a danger to human health - present bromate levels would only pose a threat to health they were consumed throughout a person's lifetime.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the reservoirs have been out of service since October 2007. They will be drained, cleaned out and then refilled.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) says that the unusually high levels of bromate were discovered recently. LADWP stressed that their decision to drain the reservoirs is to prevent bromate from exceeding acceptable drinking water standards - indicating that levels have not exceeded required limits yet. LADWP informs that it is working closely with the California Department of Public Health to investigate the problem and has since changed its operations to make sure this does not happen again. For the moment, the water in the reservoirs will only be used for non-potable (non-drinking) purposes.

Statement by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power

Written by - Christian Nordqvist
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