If the city doesn't test older or problematic wells, there is no problem right?

This non-action by the city is not surprising. This has been a standard non-response to various problems over the years. Is this taught by the city risk management department? Something like "If you don't test for problems, there is no documentation that they exist, so you can act as if they don't exist."

So we who got this notice (ME) drank this arsenic-tainted water over the summer??? They don't come out and say it but that is what I am reading into it.....

Has anyone seen the movie Erin Brockovich?

Is the City of Redding, competing with Starbucks, on " Specialty Blended Drinks".

Gosh i'm thirsty, I better get a 8 oz glass of arsenic enriched H2O. I need to watch my health you know! Then twenty years later, I will look back and thank the city for my cancer and liver spots.

City of Redding ad campaign: "At the City of Redding, we blend arsenic rich water from east and south Redding with mercury rich water from the west side and iron rich water from the north side, giving citizens all the minerals and metals they need to be more docile and easily controlled. City of Redding: we blend because we spend (excessively)."

I know, the last bit needs work. Feel free to massage it.

Does anyone really believe that the water is safe?

It makes me quite upset to learn my entire family and my pets have been drinking this... and really... how long have we been being poisoned??? I thought at least a portion of our monthly water payment went to making sure our water was safe. Is the city going to cover the medical costs for those who are adversly affected in time because of this?

Human antennas comes to mind for some reason. i could be wrong. your comment was hilarious!

Buy a water filter. All the water you drink as well as all the food you cook with water, will taste better; you will sleep more peacefully. Never trust Government to be perfectly honest or competent. Take control of your own health. Dig your own well, get off the grid and quit complaining!

The fact that the City failed to meet Federal EPA regulations and follow the Arsenic Rule should be of great alarm to all residents of Redding.

The City simply scoffs at the fact that they put the community at risk, because it failed to test their wells frequently enough.

“You do not need to use an alternative water supply (for example bottled water) and this is not an emergency”

Redding Water Utility please make that statement to the pregnant mothers in our community since, “arsenic can pass through the placenta to the unborn child and is known to limit the intelligence and growth of children”.

Please tell that to the parents raising childre since, "children are not as good at processing arsenic as adults, making them more susceptible to its highly toxic effects".

Please reassure us that we are all safe since, “Studies have linked long-term exposure to arsenic in drinking water to cancer of the bladder, lungs, skin, kidney, nasal passages, liver, and prostate. Non-cancer effects of ingesting arsenic include cardiovascular, pulmonary, immunological, neurological, and endocrine effects".

Drilling your own well does not guarantee that your water system is free of arsenic. In fact higher levels of arsenic tend to be found more in ground water sources than in surface water sources.

The demand on ground water from municipal systems and private drinking water wells may cause water levels to drop and release arsenic from rock formations.

It is obvious the North State is in a drought and putting a higher demand on the aquifers. The Department of Water Resources calls the drought of the past two years, “the most significant water crisis in California history.”

they didnt say drill your own well they said buy a water filter...HELLO?? it's called reverse osmosis which most bottled waer companys use to make thier water. it will even state they use city water and filter it. you can pick up a RO/DI unit for about 150.00 and have lab grade quality water.

Did you read the last line of their post?

i'll have to ask my landlord first. i doubt he would approve being id have to dig a hole where i park my car. sorry if some of us aren't as lucky as you. i take that back. i'm not sorry.

$150.00 is quite a bit of money for some people... the economy is not in very good shape. Maybe the city, at the very least, could get those of us with these higher arsenic levels some sort of rebate or discount on the filters. Debbydebbydebby tells us to get off the grid, drill our own wells and stop complaining. Easy to say when it is not your family that was put at risk, only to find out about it after the fact.

Do you people even read the articles before you comment? Clearly not in this case.

"The TWO(2) wells provide water to south Redding, the Enterprise area and the Hilltop Drive area near Dana Drive. They are among SIXTEEN (16) wells that supply water to the east side of the city."

First, we're not talking about the entire city of Redding - only a portion of it. Second, they are only discussing 2 of 16 wells that provide water to this particular part of Redding.

"Water from the two wells is blended with other wells and surface water sources, and that reduces arsenic concentrations, according to the letter."

Do I really need to explain this part to you?

" … However, some people who drink water containing arsenic IN EXCESS OF THE (federal maximum contamination level) OVER MANY YEARS MAY experience skin damage or circulatory system problems, and may have an increased risk to getting cancer."

Key phrases - IN EXCESS OF.... OVER MANY YEARS. Clearly no one was/is at risk. You can all stop your needless, irrational panicking now.

I am not panicking, but I am concerned by the fact that the minimum ppb for arsenic has been over the amount permitted since at least 2006 and the city has not monitored at least one of the wells as often as required by the EPA. The saving grace is that yes, these are wells that are not used year-round, thus lessening the amount of arsenic ingested over-all.

Only one answer to this dilemma now, drink more Coors beer.

were already in a world of hurt because of you naysayers.

I agree there shouldn’t be a panic yet more than a concern.

“In the dozen times that the well has been tested since going into operation in 2002, it has had arsenic levels over 10 ppb eight times, according to city test records”. This well has failed 67% of the time. The City should reduced the cost of the $32 million police station and drill a couple of new wells.

“An older well, the second well mentioned in the warning, has been tested only four times since 1996, according to city records”. Concerned that the Redding Water Utility is not testing according to federal regulations.

“In the water notice, city officials said they are studying ways to comply with the new arsenic standard and will minimize use of the wells that exceed the arsenic levels.” Concerned that the City has to “study” when the technology has been around for years on how to remove arsenic from water supplies.

Concerned because of the complacency I see. What can happen you may ask of this complacency, Walkerton!

the sky is falling, the sky is falling.

There was small little blurb about it attached to a bill in mid July. However, since that was the middle of summer wasn't it a little late! I live in the Enterprise area and while I feel no need to run for the hills, I am a little irritated.

Hi to Jericho we still miss you at the place where you used to work. This is Melissa :)

They need to keep us informed of whats in our water, ever time a test changes.
Let us decide if we want to drink the water.

The limit use to be 50 parts per billion. Much more than what the water tests at now.

check your mail. i received a notice. i think all of redding received notices. did you think it was junk mail? your comment about caring to test is out of line. i believe they just missed it. i'm confident the water i'm drinking is safe.

There was a high risk of cancer in the town I came from. It looks like its following me. When thinking about cancer risk, you have to look at all risks "over a number of years". Any risk is unacceptable, and what the city has done is in legal terms "showing negligence". In todays world, it is expensive to "show negligence".

One more reason to drink Crystal Geyser! From Mt. Shasta to your hand....the best. Gallons in the garage and in the fridge. I cant remember the last time I drank TAP.

most bottled water comes from underground wells and is unregulated. I trust tap water more than bottled water.

I received the letter & it looked like junk mail at first, but I decided to open it. No amount of arsenic is good for anybody. I am glad that I have been drinking bottled water for several years.
I remember back when people around here were all concerned about putting fluoride in the water! Something that helps prevent cavities & certain groups of people were freaked about it?
Maybe the city should give the affected areas a rebate, or not charge for water until a report comes out that there is no arsenic in the wells.
Was somebody not doing their job???

GOD BLESS

water filters dont remove arnsnic? are you kidding me?? if you buy a PUR filter at walmart your right it wont remove anything, if you buy a reverse osmosis system it removes EVERYTHING from the water. do you think the Navy uses bottled water when at sea? do yout hink that bottle water companys use a special water? do some research dude!!!

fluoride is actually toxic, and adults do not need it at all. young children do however, but you get it from many other forms, you certaintly do not ned to have it in your drinking water.

Apparently, when Arsenic gets into the water system, it does not get filtered out by typical filters. It takes a filter made from Iron to remove it. It has to be added to my Multipure 750 system, converting it to an 800 system, more bucks. Darn.