Across the Bay Area, reservoirs are brimming, snowmelt is plentiful, and drought restrictions have ended. Yet in Pleasanton, some residents are worried that, even with all that water, there won’t be a safe drop to drink.
The end of California’s drought restrictions left the East Bay city with an unenviable choice — continue to mandate water conservation to meet peak summer demand after one of the wettest winters of record or tap contaminated wells.
During a City Council meeting last month, Pleasanton chose the second option in a bid to satisfy residents eager to use more water, fill swimming pools and soak lawns after years of restrictions. Although the city gets most of its water from Del Valle Reservoir, city leaders say they’ll also need to tap city wells contaminated with PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” to meet the highest spikes in usage.
So far, the city is sticking with its decision, emphasizing that the well water is safe, amid a growing chorus of concerned residents. Many are now wondering if their water will be safe to drink this summer.
“We could conserve the amount of water needed to ensure that Pleasanton makes it through the summer without turning these wells on,” said Jill Buck, a Pleasanton resident. “It requires sacrifice on the part of the public to ensure public health. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.”
Another wrinkle? An ongoing negotiation between the EPA and the state could reset the maximum allowable concentration of PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, in drinking water. Under the new, stricter criteria, water from the city’s two wells could fail.
Pamela Ott, Pleasanton’s assistant city manager, said the decision to tap the contaminated wells was necessary, and responsible. She said the city will monitor the weather, continue to boost conservation and only activate the wells during an extended heat wave that would lead to peak demand.
“The city is committed to providing safe, efficient drinking water to the community following all state and federal standards,” Ott said. “Those wells will be needed to supply sufficient water pressure to deliver water through the system.”
But Buck, founder of the Go Green initiative, an environmental education non-profit, said the city was being shortsighted.
“I take exception to using the word ‘safe,’ ” Buck said. “What’s more accurate is ‘currently legal.’ ”
PFAS are man-made chemicals that have been used in products such as fire-fighting foam and non-stick cookware for over 80 years. Because they have been used so broadly, the chemicals are found in low levels in a variety of food products, the environment and even people’s blood.
In recent years, however, there has been a growing understanding of the health risks associated with PFAS exposure and consumption. According to the EPA, studies have shown that “exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals.” Drinking water is the primary concern — bathing and washing dishes in PFAS contaminated water are unlikely to significantly increase risk.
The two wells the city has decided to tap if demand rises have not operated since November 2022 after testing showed levels of PFAS above the state’s “notification level” but below the “response level.”
Notification levels represent a concentration level of a contaminant in drinking water that “does not pose a significant health risk” but warrants notification to users. When contaminants reach the response level, the state recommends the water source be treated or taken out of service. Because the two wells are testing within these two levels, the city declared the water safe to drink.
Buck’s concern about the water’s safety stems, at least in part, from the fact that the state of California and the EPA are currently developing new standards for PFAS that could be much lower than the current allowable levels. If more people knew the risks, she said, they would choose to use filters or other sources of water.
“These are bioaccumulative chemicals,” Buck said. “When these build up in children’s bodies, the long-term ramifications could be far worse than those of us who are older.”
According to Olivia Sanwong, a longtime Pleasanton resident and former director of a regional water supplier, Zone 7 Water Agency, the current problem has its roots in historical and infrastructural challenges. The Livermore-Pleasanton area has been historically dependent on groundwater. In the 1950’s, Pleasanton had almost entirely depleted its groundwater storage.
In response, Zone 7 was formed in part because of depleting the groundwater supply. Today, 75% to 80% of Pleasanton’s water supply comes from the agency, which is in turn supplied by the California State Water Project.
Zone 7 presently has enough water to meet Pleasanton’s needs. But because of infrastructure constraints, only so much water can be supplied to Pleasanton.
“That’s part of the problem in the city of Pleasanton — the city cannot accept above a certain water supply at hand for summer of 2023,” Sanwong said. She said she would feel safe drinking the tap water this summer as she uses a filter. “I feel comfortable if the notification works as it should, and I believe it has,” Sanwong said.
According to Ott, the city is currently looking at options to resolve those issues. The city previously tabled a plan to build a facility to treat the city’s wells for PFAS-contaminated water due to its $46 million price tag. They’re currently considering their options, including improvements to the delivery system, new sustainable water sources or moving forward with the treatment plan.
“We’re considering near-term, medium-term and long term projects so that we are able to provide safe water and if needed treat the water,” Ott said. The city will also be testing PFAS levels in the wells monthly this summer, as opposed to quarterly, as required by the state.
Source: www.mercurynews.com