There are many monitoring requirements imposed on every public water system. Our water system staff failed to adequately meet these requirements on one occasion this past year; and therefore, the City’s water system was in violation of these regulations. It is important to note that this was not a violation caused by having contaminants exceed allowable levels; rather, it was a violation caused by failing to take the required number of samples within a specific time frame. Even though this failure was not an emergency, as our customers, you have the right to know what you should do, what happened, and what we did to correct this situation. This notice is intended to provide you with this information. Please be sure to share this information with anyone who drinks Santa Ana water.
We are required to monitor your drinking water for specific contaminants on a regular basis. Results of regular monitoring are an indicator of whether or not our drinking water meets health standards. During a period in March 2013, we did not take the required number of Stage 2 Disinfectant Byproducts Rule samples required under Title 22 California Code of Regulations, Section 64424 (c), and therefore, cannot be sure of the quality of our drinking water during that time.
Upon receipt of notification from a person operating a public water system, the following notification must be given within 10 days [Health and Safety Code Section 116450(g)]:
Schools: Must notify school employees, students, and parents (if the students are minors).
Residential Rental Property Owners or Managers (including nursing homes and care facilities): Must notify tenants.
Business Property Owners, Managers, or Operators: Must notify employees of businesses located on the property.
What happened? What is being done?
We have provided additional training to our staff so there is no misunderstanding in the proper time frame and amount of samples required and when. Additional checks have been established to ensure compliance. We have performed and continue to perform all of the water system monitoring required under Title 22 to ensure the water provided to our customers is in full compliance with all regulations.
What should I do?
There is nothing you need to do at this time. The table below lists the contaminants we did not properly test for during the last year, how many samples we are required to take, samples that should have been taken, and the date on which follow-up samples were taken.
For more information, please contact Water Resources at (714) 647-3320 or write to: City of Santa Ana 220, South Daisy Avenue, Santa Ana, CA 92703
