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Congress to Halt Military Use of Toxic Foam Contaminating Drinking Water

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Anna M. Phillips

Congress has reached a deal on a spending bill that would require the military to stop using firefighting foam containing toxic chemicals linked to cancer, but would abandon efforts to place stronger regulations on the chemicals. The bill, called the National Defense Authorization Act, has been the focus of intense negotiations for months. House Democrats saw it as their best chance to force President Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency to increase its oversight of a class of chemicals, called perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances — commonly known as PFAS — that have contaminated drinking water sources across the country.

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Backed-Up Storm Drain Caused Poway’s Water Contamination

/in , /by /KPBSby City News Service, Matt Hoffman

Poway officials said Monday they believe backed-up storm drains caused the water contamination that led to the city’s first-ever boil water advisory over the weekend.

The county health department ordered the closing of all restaurants in the city and residents are being advised to boil their tap water before drinking it or using it for cooking, city officials said.

The recent rains caused the storm drains to back up into its water treatment facility, officials said. They added that crews are working around the clock to clean and flush the system, which may take two to five days before the water is declared safe.

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Poway Awaits Word From State That Water Is Safe To Drink

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribune by J. Harry Jones

Two days after county officials ordered the closure of all businesses serving food in Poway, nearly 200 restaurants and bars remained shuttered Monday, awaiting word from state officials that the water supply was safe and they could reopen.

Meanwhile, residents helped themselves to the 400,000 bottles of water made available by the city, and school officials tapped an outside vendor to feed the thousands of students returning from a holiday break.

City officials announced the possible contamination of Poway’s water supply on Saturday, which led to a boil-water advisory being issued Saturday night and orders from the county’s health department to close all restaurants and bars.

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Opinion: We Must Press California, Federal Officials to Clean Up Toxic Rivers

/in , /by /Palm Springs Desert Sun

Contamination of soil and groundwater takes a huge toll on California’s environment.

In 2017, the amount of untreated sewage and industrial waste dumped into Southern California rivers was equal to at least 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools. More than 100 million gallons of untreated sewage were dumped into the Tijuana River near Imperial Beach in September 2019.

The problem is getting worse.

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Report Details Extent Of Water Contamination In California

/in , , /by /AP Newsby Adam Beam

Chemicals used for carpets and anti-stain products have been found in water sources for 7.5 million people in California, detailing the extent of the problem as state regulators work to develop safety levels for the contaminants that have been linked to cancer.

A report released Wednesday by the Environmental Working Group found variants of the chemicals known as PFAS in 74 community water systems between 2013 and 2019, according to data from state and federal regulators. More than 40 percent of the systems had at least one sample that exceeded the health advisory level set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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