Borough: Talkeetna water exceeded arsenic standards

WASILLA — The Mat-Su Borough said Tuesday that arsenic levels in the Talkeetna water supply exceeded federal drinking water standards in December and January.

According to a notice posted on the borough’s website Tuesday, the borough’s permit requires levels of no more than 10 micrograms of arsenic per liter. In December, the borough’s water system tested at 14.8 micrograms per liter and in January it tested at 13 micrograms per liter. One microgram equals one part per billion.

The first sample showing elevated levels was collected on Dec. 16, and came back on Dec. 30. On Jan. 5, a second sample was taken and that one came back high for arsenic on Jan. 14. The borough said the problem was caused because a malfunctioning pump failed to add ferric chloride, a chemical that removes arsenic, to the water.

“The pump was rebuilt and recalibrated on Jan. 21,” the borough said, adding that a recent test showed just three micrograms per liter. Further tests have been carried out to confirm those results.

The borough said a public notice is being posted in Talkeetna and also sent out to Talkeetna residents with their next bill.

When asked why the problem wasn't immediately corrected after the first test came back high for arsenic on Dec. 30, borough public works director Terry Dolan said the elevated levels didn't rise to the level of an emergency.

"First, the levels were not dangerous, not an emergency, so rather than performing expensive work and calling in outside contractors we always verify the test first when a situation like this occurs," Dolan wrote in an email to the Frontiersman. "Sampling errors do occur for a myriad reasons. If the levels were dangerous we would have done it differently. When it’s not an emergency, our first reaction is to verify the test."

According to the borough’s public notice, the elevated levels didn’t present an immediate danger to public health.

“If it were, you would have been notified immediately,” reads the notice, in part. “However, studies have shown that the more you are exposed to arsenic over time, the higher the risk becomes for experiencing health effects. Some people who drink water containing arsenic in excess of the MCL over many years could experience skin damage or problems with their circulatory system, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.”

However, the borough pointed out that the levels were still relatively small, and pointed out that the EPA only lowered its threshold from 50 micrograms per liter to 10 micrograms per liter in 2006.

The borough recommended that anyone experiencing health problems should consult a doctor, and said people with compromised immune systems might be more vulnerable to exposure. General guidelines on arsenic are available by calling the EPA at 1-800-426-4791.

To read more, including the complete public notice, visit the borough's website at matsugov.org.