By: Cory Bilicko
Managing Editor
The City of Signal Hill activated a new well on June 23 to serve as its primary source of water, and, while officials are praising its use as one that is beneficial, some residents are complaining about an unusual odor and taste coming from the tap, even two weeks after the switch.
In a phone interview this week, Grissel Chavez-Arredondo, deputy director of Public Works, said the City has changed to a newly built, closer well that is able to meet the demands of the system and reduce the City’s dependence on imported water.
“We do still rely on imported water based on times of higher demand,” she said. “But [the new well] is basically a local source of water that is coming in and being treated in place of the other wells, which serve as back-up when needed.”
She added that a benefit of using a more local well is that, in case of a disaster, it will be easier for the City to access water.
However, some residents, such as Michael Hlaca, who lives in the Bixby Ridge neighborhood of Signal Hill, have been complaining about an odor and taste reminiscent of things ranging from bleach to medicine.
“A couple of weeks ago, when we turned on the water faucet in the kitchen, the water smelled kind of bad and tasted even worse— not like chlorine, but a medicine taste and a medicine-type smell,” Hlaca said.
He added that he uses a reverse-osmosis filtration system for the water— and that it “makes a big difference” — but he’s still concerned about the safety of the water.
Hlaca also mentioned that he complained to city officials about the fact that the City never informed residents beforehand about the change.
In her interview, Chavez-Arredondo confirmed that a notice was not sent to residents in their water bill but that the City posted information on its website. Hlaca said he noticed that that post was made after the fact.
As for any odor or taste difference in water, Chavez-Arredondo said it can be attributed to adjustments being made to the water after its source was changed from two wells to a completely different one.
“The former water source came primarily from wells 7 and 8, which are about six miles from here, in north Long Beach,” Chavez-Arredondo said. “We’re introducing a new water source that is located at the well at our yard. So, the different water source is having to be treated diffently for different constituents.”
She explained that the odd taste and smell is the result of trying to determine the correct levels in treating the water for consumption.
“There are bubbles of chlorine and ammonia involved. Those are the treatment processes, along with granular-activated carbon here at our well site— our new well,” she said. “So, there are different tastes and odors being detected by the community because of the different amounts of treatment chemicals that are being added, but we have continued to make adjustments. We think it’s a lot better, if not almost near exactly what the residents were used to tasting or smelling before. We think it will keep improving over time.”
When asked how long residents can expect to experience the unusual smell and taste, Chavez-Arredondo said she hopes it will be over very soon, adding that the number of phone calls her department is receiving on the issue has been steadily decreasing.
“Hopefully, this week could be it, maybe,” she said. “We made some more adjustments this weekend.”
The Public Works deputy director explained that the water department is required to meet certain levels per the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state regulations.
“They set different standards for what the water can contain at what amounts and what levels,” Chavez-Arredondo said. “So, we have to meet all state regulations so that we can continue to deliver safe drinking water. In a sense, this water is not exactly the same as what the water was before, with the older wells. It is a new source that has different constituents that require different amounts of treatment.”
The Signal Hill Water Department is advising residents who notice a chlorine or bleach-like smell in their water to turn on the faucet at a sink, shower or bath tub and let it run for a few minutes to clear up the smell. Those with concerns or questions are encouraged to call the water department at (562) 400-0673.
