By Shaun McKinnon
The Arizona Republic
Nov. 5, 2002
 

Related links •  Peoria copes with water ills •  Water ills for Valley explained •  Chlorine additive may have destroyed meningitis bacteria • Read previous articles about water contamination in Peoria at health.azcentral.com.

A modest amount of chlorine would have snuffed out the water-borne amoebas suspected in the deaths of two Peoria boys, but until late last month, neither state nor federal authorities required the Rose Valley Water Co. to chlorinate its supplies.

Small water companies that rely solely on groundwater don't have to add chlorine unless excessive bacteria are found or other water-quality problems develop. Maricopa County ordered Rose Valley to begin chlorinating Oct. 21, only after authorities were investigating the link between the water and the deaths.

Officials say a small, private utility like Rose Valley faces the same basic quality regulations as big municipal providers like Phoenix or Tucson, with stringent testing and reporting requirements that differ only in scale and system-specific details. For example, regulators would require a larger firm to add chlorine even if no problems existed.

"The drinking water rules for municipal and private systems are the same," said John Power, water quality chief for Maricopa County's Environmental Services Department. "If a city and a private company served the same number of people, they'd follow exactly the same rules."

Nearly 400 private water companies operate in Arizona, 52 in Maricopa County. They range in size from 20 or 30 customers to tens of thousands and are owned by individuals and multinational corporations. Arizona Corporation Commission regulates the operations side, while the state Department of Environmental Quality and, in some cases, the county, monitor water quality.

Under safe water regulations established by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, providers must test for many substances, including naturally occurring minerals and metals as well as bacteria and other contaminants.

Power said the scope and frequency of the testing depend on the size of a system. Phoenix, for example, must test for bacteria 450 times a month, while Rose Valley was required to conduct the same tests about seven times a month, at different locations.

The company reported a minor spike in bacteria at one reporting station two years ago and agreed immediately to chlorinate a batch of water until tests came back negative.

The county also inspects private water companies regularly. State law requires a visit at least every three years. Power said the county tries to make it every two years. County inspectors last visited Rose Valley in June of this year, and Power said it's likely there had been more frequent visits in recent years because of the company's rapid growth.

Although the corporation commission doesn't monitor water quality, spokeswoman Heather Murphy said such issues are considered if a private company seeks a rate increase or permission to expand or alter its services. A company with water-quality problems would face tougher questions from commissioners.

"The commissioners are monitoring this situation closely," she said. "They're very concerned."

The problem here, water-quality officials agree, is that the Naegleria fowleri amoeba is so rare and so unexpected in an Arizona aquifer, no water provider would have detected it before it entered a system.

Federal rules require testing for 100 or so contaminants, but others aren't monitored, said Jeff Stuck, who manages the safe drinking water act for Arizona's Department of Environmental Quality. U.S. authorities are constantly checking drinking water sources to see if other contaminants should be added to the list.

Arizona sifts mounds of data each year from the 400 private water companies and 1,300 public water providers that must report, Stuck said. To ensure all tests are conducted properly, state-hired contractors take samples from systems with fewer than 10,000 customers, private or public.