05/14/2025
Recent testing of Atwater’s drinking water system proves the efficacy of its filtration system in capturing and removing potentially harmful contaminants recently reported to the public, according to City Manager Chris Hoem.
Reporting during a special meeting of the City Council on April 28, Hoem said water samples taken from Well 18, located on E. Juniper Avenue and taken after granulated activated carbon (GAC) treatment, show significant reduction in Perfluorohexane Sulfonic Acid (PFHxS) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (PFOS), two chemicals related to manufacturing processes.
“Our treatment is working, and the water is safe to drink,” Hoem said, adding that testing will also commence at Well 16, located on Granite Drive, with results to be posted on the City’s Public Works website.
Generally designated as Pre- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), the chemicals were originally discovered in water samples taken on Jan. 21. The samples from wells 16 and 18, the results of which were provided to the City on March 12, showed PFAS levels above guidelines set by both the California Water Board and US Environmental Protection Agency.
The City of Atwater, as required by state law, sent notices of the drinking water contamination to residents in their April city utilities bills.
The water samples were originally tested before treatment, which had several residents commenting during the meeting that post-treatment samples would’ve been more accurate and would’ve further spared residents' anxiety over concerns about the safety of their drinking water.
Hoem reported that the Jan. 21 testing was not conducted by the city, but by the state, which then placed the city in the position to notify residents of the findings. The language and information in the notices were also mandated by the state.
The city offered no explanation for the state’s sampling method, but Hoem noted that the city conducts analysis of the water system monthly, and the samples are taken after GAC treatment.
“The state’s mandate to send out these notices from pre-treated samples is crazy,” commented Councilwoman Kalisa Rochester.
The source of the contamination has not been determined, but the City of Atwater is prepared to take appropriate legal action once the source is identified, Hoem declared.
By ROBIN SHEPARD Times Correspondent Recent testing of Atwater’s drinking water system proves the efficacy of its filtration system in capturing and removing potentially harmful contaminants recently reported to the public, according to City Manager Chris Hoem. Reporting during a special meetin...
