Bay Point: Water Has High Levels of Dangerous Chemical

Bay Point residents voiced their concerns during a meeting Wednesday night about the safety of their drinking water, which contains high levels of a chemical known to increase the risk of cancer.

The water, which is treated by Golden State Water Company, contains high levels of Trihalomethane, a byproduct of chlorine disinfectant used to treat some drinking water. The chemical is known to increase the risk of cancer, particularly colon, bladder and rectal cancer, said Michael Kent, Contra Costa Hazardous Materials ombudsman.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said that water that must contain fewer than 80 parts per billion of Trihalomethane in order to be safe to drink, Kent said.

Water in Bay Point currently has an average of 71.9 parts per billion, according to Contra Costa Health Services.

"The important thing to remember is that we are still well within that standard," Water Quality Engineer for Golden State Water Company Dawn White said. "The state health department and the federal EPA set those standards to be safe."

Other water districts in the area, however, have much lower Trihalomethane levels. Contra Costa Water District, for example, has 27.9 parts per billion. Antioch water has 45.5, Pittsburg has 11.2, Martinez has 8.9 and Oakley has 4.7 parts per billion, meaning Bay Point water has between 57 percent and 1,400 percent more Trihalomethane than surrounding communities, the county health department reported.

Trihalomethanes are formed when chlorine interacts with organic material in the water.

Many other water treatment facilities have switched to using chloramine, which is a combination of chlorine and ammonia. Chloramine creates fewer Trihalomethanes, but doesn't keep the water as clean, according to White.

The company is planning to install granular activated carbon filters that will significantly reduce the Trihalomethane levels in the water. But the project is expensive and the company wants to phase it in over time, White said.

Meanwhile, some areas served by the company are actually exceeding the safe levels of Trihalomethane, White confirmed. The 71.9 parts per billion figure came from an average of Trihalomethane levels taken from 12 locations throughout the service area, which provides water to an estimated 23,000 to 25,000 people in Bay Point.

White said that the company has been monitoring areas that tend to exceed the EPA standard and have been taking measures to reduce Trihalomethane levels, but they do occur.

Residents are also concerned about a proposed 15 percent rate increase over the next three years, especially since they feel they are getting worse quality water than neighboring communities and at a significantly higher cost, Kent said.

Bay Point residents pay an average of $60.77 per month for their water while Antioch residents pay an average of $27 to $30.77. Pittsburg residents pay an average of $41.15, Contra Costa Water District customers pay an average of $44.39 to $51.87, and Martinez residents pay an average of $48.20 to $55.68, according to Contra Costa Health Services.

The California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates how much utility companies can charge for their services, will hold a hearing on the proposed rate increase on May 17 in Bay Point.