{"id":452397,"date":"2025-12-17T04:04:12","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T04:04:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/452397\/"},"modified":"2025-12-17T04:04:12","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T04:04:12","slug":"special-report-tainted-water-californias-new-chromium-rule-and-its-impact-on-the-coachella-valley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/452397\/","title":{"rendered":"Special Report: Tainted Water – California\u2019s new Chromium rule and its impact on the Coachella Valley"},"content":{"rendered":"

COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) Water agencies across the Coachella Valley are facing a costly mandate as California enforces the nation’s first drinking water limit on hexavalent chromium, also known as chromium-6, a chemical linked to cancer that occurs naturally in the region\u2019s groundwater.<\/p>\n

The new state standard, which takes effect Oct. 1, 2024, limits chromium-6 to 10 parts per billion. That\u2019s far stricter than the federal government, which only regulates total chromium at 100 ppb.\u00a0<\/p>\n

California\u2019s ultimate health goal <\/a>is even lower: 0.02 ppb.<\/p>\n

In response,<\/a> Coachella Valley Water District <\/a>sent out state-required notices in November warning customers in its Cove Community (ID-8) system that recent water samples showed levels between 11 and 12 ppb, exceeding the new limit<\/p>\n

Officials stress the water remains safe to drink under current rules.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis isn\u2019t an emergency,\u201d CVWD communications manager Lorraine Garcia said. \u201cIt\u2019s still the same water. It\u2019s not that we suddenly had a contamination from something. This is a naturally occurring thing here\u201d<\/p>\n

Garcia said CVWD has submitted a compliance plan to the state but cannot begin construction until it\u2019s approved. Proposed solutions include taking wells offline, drilling replacements, and building treatment facilities. The estimated cost: $350 million.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis particular regulation that California has adopted will double customers\u2019 rates,\u201d Garcia said<\/p>\n

CVWD serves a wide area, including Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, and parts of Indio and Thousand Palms. Chromium-6 is present throughout the valley, due to local geology.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is actually naturally occurring chromium all over our state in the rocks,\u201d said UC Riverside <\/a>environmental scientist Samantha Ying. \u201cWhen we drink it at that level, like ten parts per billion or a little higher, and we drink it every day, it could become a problem including causing different types of cancers\u201d<\/p>\n

Ying noted that while the risk isn\u2019t immediate, long-term exposure matters. \u201cWe don\u2019t need any chromium-6 in our bodies,\u201d she said. \u201cLower is always better.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the city of Coachella, which operates its own water system, leaders have requested up to $84 million in state funding to build a treatment plant.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Inside city council <\/a>chambers last week, city leaders were told the same bottom line<\/p>\n

A new treatment facility may be needed. They\u2019ve apply for funding and rates could double for customers.<\/p>\n

City<\/a> documents show the city requested up to $84 million in state funding, with estimates putting the project closer to 50 million. Some funding may come as grants, The rest would be loans repaid by ratepayers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re hoping to get grants. But what we can’t get in grants we’re going to have to borrow.\u201dsaid interim city manager Bill Pattison during last week\u2019s meeting.<\/p>\n

Residents are already uneasy about the price tag.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve been giving it to us for years and years and years, and I don\u2019t think it\u2019s done anything to make anything any better,\u201d said Frank Van Patten, a La Quinta Cove homeowner. \u201cIt shouldn\u2019t cost billions of dollars\u201d<\/p>\n

The controversy over chromium-6 gained national attention after the movie \u201cErin Brockovich\u201d spotlighted toxic industrial pollution in Hinkley<\/a>, California. But that case involved a utility\u2019s chemical leak. Here in the valley, the chromium is natural, it leaches from local rock formations into groundwater<\/p>\n

Still, not everyone agrees on how far the state should go or who should foot the bill.<\/p>\n

Assemblymember Jeff Gonzalez<\/a>, represents the Coachella Valley andsits on the Colorado River Forum <\/a>as supports the regulation. \u201cWhen it comes to public health and safety, 100%,\u201d Gonzalez said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, more than 120 water agencies and agricultural groups across the state have filed a lawsuit challenging the mandate, calling it an unfunded and unreasonable burden on local water systems.<\/p>\n

That lawsuit is currently pending. Until it\u2019s resolved, agencies must move forward with compliance and residents may soon see those costs reflected in their water bills.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) Water agencies across the Coachella Valley are facing a costly mandate as California enforces the…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":452398,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[746,159,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-452397","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-environment","9":"tag-science","10":"tag-united-states","11":"tag-unitedstates","12":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115732929730305378","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/452397","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=452397"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/452397\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/452398"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=452397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=452397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=452397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}