Cleaning Atwater’s contaminated water is city’s highest priority, says council
The Atwater City Council this week unanimously declared its highest priority public improvement project to be restoring the city’s clean water.
The urgent resolution came after a carcinogenic chemical, 1,2,3-Trichloropropane (TCP), was found in several Atwater wells — and in quantities exceeding state-approved maximum contaminant levels.
“The main concern is that the council do something and get started on it,” Mayor Paul Creighton said. “This urgency resolution that has taken place is to reaffirm what citizens want.”
For months, locals have attended council meetings asking for updates on plans to rectify the water issue.
Short-term exposure to TCP may irritate the eyes, skin and respiratory tract, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The hazardous chemical can negatively impact concentration, memory and muscle coordination. Prolonged exposure may cause liver and kidney damage, reduced body weight and cancer.
TCP sinks to the bottom of groundwater, where it remains for long periods of time, although it’s unlikely to become concentrated in fish or plants.
A civil action was filed in 2014 against companies for recovery of damages. In 2019, the city was awarded over $43 million in net settlement proceeds from oil giant Shell and Dow, a chemical company.
Shell Oil allegedly marketed a nematicide — a chemical used to kill small worms — in the Valley for decades without revealing it contained TCP. The chemical was utilized on agricultural lands around Atwater, contaminating city water.
City officials are taking several steps to ensure the $43 million is safeguarded, for the sole purpose of swift TCP remediation.
The council unanimously passed a resolution Jan. 13, for a supermajority vote by members to be required, should the need arise to repeal or modify the protected use of the settlement proceeds.
“We’re locking this money down,” Creighton said.
On Jan. 27, an investment management agreement was unanimously supported by council that named San Diego-based Chandler Asset Management as investment advisors for the settlement funds.
Available money not being used for water restoration projects will be invested to “extend the life of the funds,” City Manager Lori Waterman said.
Projects associated with TCP remediation are expected to be costly and require additional staffing, Waterman said.
Larry Parlin of Carollo Engineers is working with city staff to review the pros and cons of the available TCP treatment options. He estimated $26 million alone will go toward treating the TCP contaminated water.
“We’re not looking at today, we’re trying to look 40 to 50 years out so that the city is healthy,” Creighton said.
The mayor’s hope is that Atwater will be the first Valley city free of TCP and other contaminants.
Monday’s resolution declared the situation to be of “urgent citywide concern,” and directed city staff to execute the project as “expeditiously and urgently as possible, with time being of the essence.”
The city is positioned to begin the project’s pre-construction phase, with actual construction of TCP treatment and removal projects not taking place until mid to late summer, Creighton said.
Fresno and Livingston’s handling of TCP cleanup serve as models for Atwater’s approach.
Long-term well treatment and well rehabilitation will be necessary. TCP remediation options outlined in the litigation damages assessment include air stripping, reverse osmosis, advanced oxidation, alternative sorbents, biological treatment and activated carbon.
Atwater’s primary well is already being treated, Creighton said. The city will then target the most contaminated wells, working toward the less urgent ones.
Going forward, project updates will be given to council monthly.
This story was originally published February 12, 2020 at 8:13 AM.
