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Letter: Does anyone know what is really in our city tap water? 

To the editor,

Just curious… Does anyone else know what is really in our city tap water?

Yes, we know about the excessive scale on our plumbing, drip systems, etc., and the smell of chlorine. But, we just had an independent lab test our tap water here on the east side of Paso Robles in the Sierra Bonita Village and found that our water has high levels of arsenic and lead. Not to mention the excessive fluoride and chlorine that also directly affect health. I don’t see that in Paso Robles’ city water test results for some reason.

Arsenic and lead are accumulative. I personally am at an age where that may be the least of my concerns, but I think children and younger adults need to be aware of what they are drinking and/or cooking with.

The Federal EPA set a maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 parts per billion (PPB) for arsenic in drinking water, but an MCL goal of zero. This means that no amount of arsenic is considered safe. Our lab test showed .0022 parts per million.

The maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG) for lead is zero. This is the level determined to be safe according to toxicological and biomedical considerations, independent of feasibility. Our results were .0004.

To be fair, these results are based on “SLR” (simple lab results) versus Federal “MCL” (Maximum contaminant level).

See copy of Simple Lab report here

Joe Culbertson
Paso Robles


Editor’s note: We forwarded Mr. Culberton’s letter to the Paso Robles Water Department. Here is the city’s response:

Paso Robles water resources manager responds to concerns about water quality

Thank you for sharing this customer’s concern with us.

The city routinely monitors our water sources and system water quality according to federal and state drinking water requirements to ensure the water we provide meets applicable health and safety standards. The results of the city’s monitoring are published annually, and our most recent report is available at the following URL (2020 Water Quality Report). The annual Water Quality Report is a great place to learn about our drinking water quality—the sampling protocols and analytical methods used to prepare this report comply with strict regulatory requirements to ensure consistent and accurate data collection, analysis and reporting.

The city’s results for all the constituents mentioned in the customer’s message (arsenic, lead, fluoride, and chlorine) are below respective limits for drinking water and are addressed in this most recent water quality report.

Regarding arsenic, a concentration of 0.0022 ppm (parts per million) was referenced in the customer’s message—this is equivalent to 2.2 ppb (parts per billion) and is well below the limit for drinking water of 10 ppb. It’s also important to note that the maximum contaminant levels are established by the US EPA as close to goal levels as technologically or economically feasible to account for the actual ability to treat or remove these constituents. The city continues to monitor levels of arsenic present in our water sources and provide treatment. For example, the city has installed arsenic treatment systems for two of our sources to ensure arsenic levels in our drinking water remain below state and federal requirements.

Regarding fluoride, like arsenic, fluoride occurs naturally in groundwater sources. While some water suppliers add fluoride to water, the city of Paso Robles does not fluoridate the drinking water we supply. The concentration of fluoride in the city’s water is also well below the standard for drinking water.

Lead is routinely sampled but rarely detected in the city’s drinking water and recent results for lead have been zero, or below the detection limit, as noted in the Water Quality Report. Lead typically enters drinking water from materials used in private plumbing fixtures and pipes in consumers’ homes or businesses, and not the city’s water system.

Finally, regarding chlorine, the city adds chlorine to drinking water as a disinfectant at levels deemed safe for this purpose by regulatory agencies. This reduces the potential for contamination before the water reaches the customer. Fortunately, if customers object to any taste or odor of chlorine in their water, chlorine can easily be removed from drinking water prior to consumption using simple carbon filtration systems that are widely available to consumers.

Customers with questions about water quality can reach the Paso Robles Water Department at (805) 237-3866.

Kirk Gonzalez, P.E.
Interim Water Resources Manager
City of Paso Robles

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