Imperial’s new water filtration system now online
IMPERIAL — City engineer Albert Webb turned the valve on the a new water filtration system that the city expects will finally mark an end to its water being out of compliance with state and federal drinking water standards.
The new granular activated carbon filtration treatment system at the city’s water treatment plant is designed to remove organic material and lower chlorinated byproducts in Imperial’s water system, the city said in a release.
Construction of the system began in February and was funded through a recent utility rate increase.
On Oct. 1, the city sent notices to residents notifying them it had violated of drinking water standard for four consecutive quarters.
In her response to a recent Probe question on the subject, Alexis Chalupnik, public information officer for the city of Imperial, said tests revealed high levels of trihalomethanes, also known as TTHM.
She said high TTHM levels are caused when chlorine byproducts combine with organic matter. Time, temperature and raw water quality are also contributing factors.
She said that although the public was entitled to be kept informed, the situation was not considered an emergency. “This has been a common issue in our Valley due to our extreme weather conditions for years,” she said.
The issue was exacerbated in 2015, when the State of California imposed a 20 percent mandated conservation objective on the city of Imperial, Chalupnik said. The decrease in water usage allowed for the buildup of TTHM levels within the city’s reservoir tanks, creating a high “long running average” testing level that violated the state’s drinking water standards.
The state has removed its 20 percent conservation mandate on Imperial, and the LRA has been dropping, she said. However, the city must continue to notify residents of violations until testing levels fall below 80 parts per billion, as required by EPA and the state.
The addition of the new filtration system should accelerate the process, Chalupnik said. “Engineering reports indicate our testing levels will drop, and the city of Imperial will be compliant.”