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City Water Exceeds EPA Uranium Levels

Posted on: Tuesday, 28 February 2006, 18:00 CST

By Diana M. Alba, Las Cruces Sun-News, N.M.

Feb. 28--Notices recently mailed to Las Cruces residents warn of naturally occurring uranium in the water supply, but city administrators say it's nothing residents should fret over.

Five of the city's 30 wells contain higher concentrations of uranium than U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards allow. Some 26,000 fliers were mailed last week to the city's water customers notifying them about the levels.

Residents shouldn't worry because the city is taking steps to correct the problem, and health risks are minimal, said Gilbert V. Morales, city water resources administrator. The water hasn't complied with the EPA standard since it was first set three years ago, he said. Because of that, the city is required to send fliers every three months notifying customers about the uranium concentrations, he said.

"I think it's important to note the water quality hasn't changed," he said. "It's still the same water that we've been pumping out of the aquifer for the past 50 years."

Before 2003, no standard existed for uranium.

Morales said the uranium occurs naturally in the ground, and some areas of the aquifer have higher levels than others.

An EPA Web site indicates uranium standards were set because high levels could lead to kidney disease or cancer.

Eugene Marciniak, health officer for the regional health department's office, said uranium in high levels acts as a toxin to kidneys. There's also a concern that the radioactive nature of the element causes cancer, but "that hasn't been proven," he said.

"The long-term effects of the levels we're talking about are not known," he said. "That's just the concern with any type of radiation that's ingested over a long time."

Marciniak, who's a medical doctor, said the body absorbs only a very small amount of uranium ingested in drinking water.

The city notice suggests people with weakened immune systems should consider talking with their doctors about drinking water with high uranium levels.

Marciniak noted that if residents are concerned, it's possible to remove uranium with a home filtration device. Also, owners of private wells can hire private companies to test their own water for uranium, he said.

Morales said the city has hired an engineering consultant, CH2M Hill, to study how best to lower uranium concentrations. Possibilities include treating the water at the well before it enters the city's water system or replacing wells, a costly option, he said.

"We want to weigh out all the options and make sure any treatment we proceed with is cost effective and something we can implement ... ," he said.

Four of five wells affected are near Interstate 25 between Spruce Avenue and University Avenue. The fifth is near the junction of Solano Drive and Picacho Avenue.

Morales said just because residents live near an affected well doesn't necessarily mean they're getting water from it. Water after it's drawn goes to reservoir tanks, where it mixes with water from other wells before going to customers, he said.

"It's almost impossible to determine which well is servicing which area, so we just send the notices to all the customers," he said.

The mixing could serve to dilute the concentration of uranium overall in the water, Morales said.

Marciniak said residents, even if they're concerned about drinking water with uranium, shouldn't worry about bathing or washing laundry in it. It becomes a health risk in water only after it's ingested, he said.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Las Cruces Sun-News, N.M.

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Source: Las Cruces Sun-News

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