SUBMITTED ARTICLE
KING CITY — California Water Service (Cal Water) does not have elevated levels of nitrate in water supplied to its customers, the utility confirmed after a recent community meeting informed attendees that some Salinas Valley residents should not drink their water due to the nitrate levels.
Last week the Salinas Basin Agriculture Stewardship Group held a meeting informing residents in the Salinas Valley that their water may not be safe due to elevated levels of nitrate in groundwater, and that they may be eligible for free bottled water.
The utility received a number of inquiries from customers asking whether this applied to them.
According to Cal Water, the nitrate levels are so low in King City that the water does not need treatment for removal.
“The water Cal Water provides to our customers continues to meet all federal and state water quality standards, including those set for nitrate,” said Marc Bloom, local manager for Cal Water in King City. “We have a rigorous water quality assurance program and continuously monitor water quality to ensure it is safe for our customers to use and drink, because protecting their health and safety is our highest priority.”
The maximum contaminant level (MCL), or limit set to protect public health, for nitrate is measured two ways. The MCL for nitrate in its full form (NO3) is 45 parts per million (ppm). The preferred measurement by the state is nitrate as nitrogen (N), which indicates the nitrogen portion of the nitrate molecule; this MCL is 10 ppm.
Water quality test results for all of Cal Water’s systems in the Salinas Valley are well below both limits, Bloom said.
Detailed test results and more information about water quality is available in the utility’s annual Water Quality Report (also called Consumer Confidence Report) for each local area.
Water Quality Reports can be accessed at www.calwater.com/ccr, or by contacting the local Customer Center at 831-385-5486 or
in****@ca******.com
.
Cal Water serves about 13,300 people through 2,500 service connections in King City. The company has provided water service in the area since 1962.
Additional information may be obtained online at www.calwater.com.
