California Water News Daily Your Source For Water News in California
In 2008, the EPA issued an order requiring the Arvin Community Services District (ACSD) in Arvin – located in Kern County – to reduce their arsenic concentrations. At the time, Arvin’s arsenic levels were as high as 31 ppb. ACSD applied for an extension, until the end of 2014, to comply with the order.
After the EPA retested ACSD’s arsenic levels, the water agency’s levels were still more than the maximum containment level, making it dangerous for human consumption.
As ACSD works to restore water quality, they are supplying their customers with drinking water via three vending machines at its district office. The vending machines are expected to provide 650 gallons of water per day, at no cost to the public. ACSD will continue to provide water to its customers until their drinking water supply is back within federal guidelines.
In addition to supplying bottled water, ACSD is being fined $14,750 for the dangerous arsenic levels.
Residents wanting to pick up bottled water can visit ACSD’s corporate office at:
309 Campus Drive
Arvin, CA 93203
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was passed in 1974 as a means of protecting Americans’ health by regulating the public’s drinking water supply. Under this law, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, springs and ground water wells are regulated for a number of toxins, including arsenic. The water regulator, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has established the maximum containment level (MCL) of arsenic at no more than 10 parts per billion (ppb).
