CAMPO DINER REOPENS AFTER WELL WATER ISSUES FORCED CLOSURE

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly version Share this

January 16, 2013 (Campo) – The Campo Diner is a popular place in East County – and co-owner Carmen Delaguerra is happy to announce that rumors of the diner’s demise are not true.  The Diner is now reopened, following a two-week closure over the holidays due to discovery that well water was contaminated with nitrates.

“We’re getting a new filtration system. They’ve approved us being open for 30 days,” Delaguerra said, adding that while awaiting installation, the restaurant is serving bottled water and relying on paper plates.  “Our customers don’t care about eating on paper plates. They’re telling us they’re thrilled that we’re back open."

Closure came without warning at the busiest time of the year, just before Christmas, when the nearby Pacific Southwest Railway Museum runs its Christmas train rides.  “We had a party coming in that evening and we had to shut down that afternoon,”Delaguerra said. "It couldn't have happened at a worse time."

The well water was found to be contaminated with nitrates, which can come from fertilizer, animal waste, septic systems, or rotting plants.

Nitrates can cause blue baby syndrome, a potentially fatal form of anemia in infants and has been linked to cancer with long-term exposure.  Presence of nitrates is a common problem in rural areas, particularly in spring due to chemical run-off from agricultural fields.

“We’re surrounded here by agricultural lands,” Delaguerra noted.  “The only thing we care about is making sure that we’re safe.”

Her family has been in the area since 1960, operating the diner and its predecessor, a salon/bar, since 1970. 

The Campo Diner is a true crossroads of humanity – a place where you’re likely to see some colorful characters pass through the doors including Buffalo Soldiers in civil war garb from nearby Camp Lockett, military in uniform, motorcycle and vintage car club members, ranchers and ranch hands in cowboy gear,  motorists on Historic Highway 94, vintage railway buffs, and residents from Campo and neighboring towns.

Fortunately for their customers, Delaguerra predicts, “We hope to be back to normal in a couple of weeks.”


Error message

Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.