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Update: Hear our in-depth interviews with state water officials, originally aired on KNSJ 89.1 FM Radio.
By Miriam Raftery
July 3, 2024 (San Diego) – The State of California has released its 2023 Drinking Water Needs Assessment, including a dashboard listing water systems that failed state or federal standards for safe drinking water. In San Diego County, 18 water systems failed repeated tests due to contaminants that include arsenic, uranium, nitrate, nitrite, manganese, E-coli, heavy metals, and more, including numerous water providers in East County. Sixteen other local water systems are at risk or potentially at risk. Also see: California Open Data.
Failing means the water system failed to meet one or more state or federal standards. However, it does not necessarily mean the water is unsafe. A system can be put on the list if there are serious financial issues that prevent it from cleaning up the water, for instance. Some systems may have multiple wells, and be able to continue providing clean, safe water through other wells. Some may have only a temporary problem, while others may require costly long-term solutions.
Disadvantaged communities in California may be eligible for state grants to help restore safe drinking water under the SAFER (Safe and Affordable funding for equity and resilience) program.
ECM has reached out to the State Water Resources Control Board, and will be interviewing two officials there in depth next week about the local situations. However Public Information Officer Dimitri Stanich assures that all water system operators have been contacted, and if water is not deemed safe, customers will be notified. Water systems are required to provide safe drinking water, either through tap water or bottled water.
Repeatedly failing water safety tests can have serious consequences. Locally, the Live Oak Springs District had its license revoked by the state and was taken over by the county several years ago. Efforts to consolidate Lake Morena’s two water districts is underway after the Lake Morena Views Mutual Water Company repeatedly failed tests, leaving its customers forced to drink bottled water for several years.
Districts in San Diego County that failed safe drinking water standards: District Problems found
- Barrett Lake Mobilehome and RV Park LLC: Nitrate
- Campo Elementary School: nitrate
- Cuyamaca Water District: E-coli, manganese, and iron
- Descanso Community Water Dist.: uranium
- Guatay Mutual Benefit Corp.: uranium
- Heavenly Oaks: manganese
- Indian Hills Camp: uranium, manganese, particle activity
- Lake Henshaw Resort Inc.: aluminum, iron, manganese
- Lake Morena Views MWC: nitrate
- Lake Wohlford Resort: not listed
- Oakvale Park: uranium
- Pauma Valley Water Co.: nitrate, selenium, haloacetic acids
- Quiet Oaks Mobile Home Park: nitrate, nitrite
- Rancho Santa Teresa MW Co.: uranium, manganese, gross alpha particle
- Twin Lakes Resort: arsenic
- Warner Unified School District: arsenic
- Willowside Terrace Water Assn.: uranium, nitrate, nitrite
- Wynola Water District: manganese
Districts that passed tests but are considered at risk or potentially at risk:
Another 16 water districts did not fail the tests, but were found to be at risk or potentially at risk. They are:
- Butterfield Ranch
- Campo Lockett Middle School
- Camp Pendleton North
- Clover Flat Elementary School
- La Cima Fire Center
- Lake Morena’s Oak Shores MWC
- Live Oak Springs Water System
- Mountain Empire High School
- Ocotillo Oasis
- Pine Hills Mutual Water Company
- Pine Valley Mutual Water Company
- Pine Valley Trailer Park
- Potrero Elementary School
- Rincon Del Diablo
- Spencer Valley School District
- Warner Springs Estate
Districts not assessed
Some districts were not assessed at all, including large districts such as Helix Water District, Sweetwater Authority, Otay Water Authority, Vista Irrigation District., the cities of San Diego, Oceanside, and Escondido, the Carlsbad Desalination Plant, Vallecitos,, USN San Clemente Island, and San Diego County Water Authority.
Any districts not listed as failing, at risk, potentially at risk, or not assessed have passed safe drinking water testing standards.
Background
“The State of California in 2010 found that safe drinking water is a human right, but there was no teeth in it,” Stanich told ECM.
So in 2019, Senate Bill 200 created a fund using money from cap-and-trade greenhouse gas emissions money to help water systems in disadvantaged communities clean up unsafe drinking water.
Drinking water quality is measured each year and results are published on the SAFER dashboard.
Water system operators are notified of results and water agencies, water companies or other water system owners in disadvantaged communities can apply for grants from the state to restore safe drinking water for their customers.
Audio:
Download: 
Newsmakesrs-WaterQuality-Dmitri&more.mp3
Newsmakesrs-WaterQuality-Dmitri&more.mp3
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Helix water