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EPA Issues Emergency Order to Provide Safe Drinking Water at Mobile Home Park in California Due to High Arsenic Levels

Environmental Testing Services

Category	Press Release
Publish Date	3/20/2023
Author	Paul Cochrane
Title	EPA Issues Emergency Order to Provide Safe Drinking Water at Mobile Home Park in California Due to High Arsenic Levels
Introduction	LA Testing provides laboratory services to identify environmental exposure risks to arsenic and other hazards to protect the public and to help keep companies and utilities in regulatory compliance.
Huntington Beach, CA, March 20, 2023 Last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an Emergency Administrative Order under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act to a mobile home park in California’s Coachella Valley. The mobile home park owners have been ordered to provide safe alternative drinking water to residents, address deficiencies with their arsenic reduction system and obtain a certified operator within one month. The emergency order is part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to ensure small drinking water systems in the region comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act after quarterly sampling results for arsenic at the mobile home park recently reached a running annual average of 11.6 parts per billion (ppb), which violates the arsenic maximum contaminant level of 10 ppb. Failure to comply with the EPA’s orders could result in penalties of over $28,000 per day. According to the EPA announcement: Arsenic is odorless and tasteless and can enter drinking water supplies from natural deposits in the earth or from agricultural and industrial practices. Exposure to arsenic may result in both acute and chronic health effects. Arsenic is a known carcinogen and drinking high levels of water containing arsenic over many years can increase the chance of lung, bladder, and skin cancers, as well as heart disease, diabetes, and neurological damage. “It’s also important to recognize that EPA does not regulate private wells as the owners of those are responsible for the safety of their water,” said Michael Chapman, Laboratory Manager of LA Testing’s Huntington Beach facility. “There are many private well owners in California that should have their water tested for arsenic and other contaminants on a regular basis. To help identify exposure risks and water quality issues in California, LA Testing provides water testing services and sampling supplies. These services are available to utilities, water system operators, wastewater treatment providers, regulators, private well owners and the general public.” LA Testing has also sponsored an educational video about arsenic and private wells that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/zpwmcBPKw08 To learn more about testing for arsenic or other environmental, health and safety issues, please visit www.LATesting.com, email info@LATesting.com or call (800) 755-1794. About LA Testing LA Testing is California’s leading laboratory for environmental and indoor air quality testing of asbestos, mold, lead, VOCs, formaldehyde, soot, char, ash and smoke damage, particulates and other chemicals. In addition, LA Testing offers a full range of air sampling and investigative equipment to professionals and the general public. LA Testing maintains an extensive list of accreditations including: AIHA LAP LLC., AIHA ELLAP, AIHA EMLAP and AIHA IHLAP, CDC ELITE, NVLAP, State of California, State of Hawaii Department of Health and other states. LA Testing, along with the EMSL Analytical, Inc. network, has multiple laboratories throughout California including South Pasadena, Huntington Beach, San Leandro and San Diego.