New law allows Willows a fast way to sell well to Cal Water, efforts to reduce Chromium 6 levels - Action News Now
A new law will make it easier for the City of Willows to sell its only well, in an effort to get safer water.
WILLOWS, Calif. - A new law will make it easier for the City of Willows to sell it's only well, in an effort to get safer water.
You might think the water that comes straight out of the tap is from the City of Willows but in reality.
"California Water Service Company is our water purveyor for the City of Willows. They supply our water," said Gary Hansen, vice mayor of Willows.
Cal Water also makes sure the levels of Chromium 6 in the water a known carcinogen by the EPA, are below 10 parts per billion (ppb) for the maximum contaminant level.
"The maximum contaminant level is the number that is set by the regulator, allowed to serve our customers, for example, the EPA. If we were to go over that, we would possibly be subject to fines," said Evan Markey, an interim manager for Cal Water.
Markey says Cal Water owns 7 wells that service Willows. Four of them are enough to provide water for everyone and have filters to reduce the amount of Chromium 6.
Which for Willows is on average 4 parts per billion (ppb) below the threshold of 10 ppb, deemed safe to drink.
The other 3 wells are shut off while Cal Water, works to put the filtration system online for them.
"We don't have treatment on the other 3 (wells) strictly due to cost. It's an expensive treatment to put in were talking over a million dollars per site," Markey said.
Those funds are something Willows also doesn't have. And it's a problem because eventually, the city would have to put a filtration system in its only well, which serves 3 customers.
But a new law sponsored by Assemblyman James Gallagher will allow Willows to sell its well to Cal Water without holding a special election to approve the sale.
"It's a common-sense approach it's cost-saving, a lot of money," Hansen explained. "The City of Willows wants to get out of the water business, in order to supply safe reliable water."
It saves the City of Willows the trouble of raising the rates for its 3 customers that use the city well water and use Cal Waters' infrastructure instead.
"If this were to go through they would be folded into our existing rate base there," Markey said.
Markey says natural Chromium comes from the town of Chrome - west of Willows, which hydrology carries the compounds to the city.
The City of Willows says the level of Chromium 6 in its well behind is perfectly safe to drink. This law takes into effect in 2022 and will last until 2024.
Markey from Cal Water also tells Action News Now it is actively working to get grants to put Chromium 6 filters on those 3 wells it owns that are shut off at the moment.
source: https://www.actionnewsnow.com/content/news/New-law-helps-fast-track--575561061.html
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