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Arsenic levels high in Canyon Elementary drinking water

by CHANSE WATSON
Hagadone News Network | June 12, 2020 1:22 PM

Kellogg School District officials consider options

CATALDO — The Kellogg School District’s smallest facility may be in some hot water if its well situation isn’t resolved soon.

According to Anna Moody, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality’s Drinking Water Compliance Supervisor, Canyon Elementary School’s drinking water has tested positive for high levels of arsenic three separate times over the past year.

Arsenic is a naturally occurring element found in the Earth’s crust that can be released into the environment through natural activities such as volcanic action, erosion of rocks and forest fires, or through human activities such as pesticide application, improper disposal of arsenic-containing waste chemicals, agricultural applications, mining and smelting.

While the Silver Valley has had issues with arsenic in the past due to mining smelter operations, the arsenic present in Canyon Elementary’s water is naturally occurring.

Since arsenic being present in well systems is not uncommon — especially for this area, health and environmental agencies such as the Panhandle Health District and IDEQ make it common practice to test water systems for the element.

Before 2020, Canyon Elementary’s well would receive a standard water quality test once every three years. Its last three-year cycle test was in December 2019 and the results showed that there was 10.7 parts per billion of arsenic present. The well that the school draws water from is privately owned and also provides several other homes in the area with water.

Concern over the potential effects of long-term, chronic exposure to arsenic in drinking water prompted the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce the drinking water standard for arsenic from 50 ppb to 10 ppb on Jan. 26, 2006. This standard applies to all 750 community water systems (CWS) and to 245 nontransient noncommunity water systems (NTNCWS) in Idaho that exceed 10 ppb of arsenic. The EPA recommends that the minimum level be set at 5 ppb, but has settled with 10 ppb due to the fiscal challenges that lower minimums would impose on homes and businesses.

With a failed test, albeit barely, Canyon Elementary’s well was then kicked into a quarterly test cycle starting in 2020.

The first quarterly test in February showed an increase of arsenic to 13.5 ppb. The results of the second test in April were slightly better, but still out of compliance, at 12.5 ppb. One more failed test and the IDEQ could declare a public health emergency — effectively shutting down the school until the problem is resolved.

With a third test set to occur on July 1, School District officials are already weighing their options if the results aren’t positive.

On Wednesday night before their regularly scheduled board meeting, Kellogg School Board members held a Zoom workshop with Steve Cordes, an engineer with Welch & Comer Engineering/Surveyors. In that meeting, Cordes went over the three options that IDEQ has presented to the district to rectify the situation without closing the building down completely:

1. Point of Use Treatment — This option would involve installing individual arsenic filters on all potable water fixtures within the school, as well as each of the homes currently served by the well. Cordes explained that this could be difficult to implement in an elementary school environment and would also require homeowners to provide system operator regular access to their home to change filters. The owners of the well have already communicated that they have no desire to participate in this option. On its own (i.e. not done in combination with another option), this option is the most cost effective, but would require regular maintenance to replace filters whenever they wear out and would not be a determinant fix.

2. Central Treatment — This option involves the installation of a central water treatment plant capable of decreasing arsenic concentrations prior to distribution to any users within the system. While this method would fix the problem better than option one, it is much more expensive and difficult to implement due to ownership of the well. Cordes said the homeowners would likely accept the use of a central treatment facility if fully funded by the school district. However, this could be risky for the school district, given that use of the well is granted through a 10-year lease and not owned by them. If installed in any capacity (i.e. if used in conjunction with any other option), the water treatment plant would require a licensed water treatment operator to regularly manage operations.

3. Drill a New Well — This option involves the installation of a new well to exclusively serve the school. Recommended by IDEQ, this option has the highest risk-reward of the three. If chosen, the school district would need to put bids out for contractors to drill the new well. A potential well location on the northeast side of the school has already been put forward, but would likely require a small well lot easement from the nearby property owners.

The cost of just drilling a new well is estimated to be $81,000, but there’s a strong chance that this cost could be eventually covered by an IDEQ Emergency Fund Loan — if a public health emergency is declared. The school district would have to apply for this loan and pay all initial costs out-of-pocket. If approved, the district would also be eligible for loan forgiveness, meaning that they would be reimbursed for the costs and wouldn’t have to repay the loan. Risks that come with this option include a chance that the new well won’t find water, and if it does, that water from the new well may still require arsenic treatment — which is where option two would be implemented on the new well too. The district has tried to drill a well for the school in the past, but it came up dry, which then forced the district to sign a lease on the current well.

Another obstacle to this option is time. The 2020-2021 school year is set to begin in early September. If the construction process goes past the first day of school, temporary steps would need to be taken to keep students and staff safe until the well is completed. Temporary steps could include an implementation of online classes — similar to what has been occurring during the pandemic, use of bottled water or a short implementation of option one. It is unknown at this time if the costs associated with these temporary steps would be covered by the IDEQ loan.

This option is by far the most labor intensive, but could possibly be the most cost effective and have the most benefit if everything goes according to plan.

The Kellogg School Board took their first steps to making a decision on Wednesday. A motion was approved that would allow them to start the construction bidding process whenever they are ready.

Another special board meeting to discuss the matter is scheduled for Wednesday, June 17.

Canyon Elementary School is located at 27491 E. Schoolhouse Loop in Cataldo.

Arsenic has been reported to cause more than 30 different adverse health effects including cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, skin changes, nervous system damage and various forms of cancer. Although a very high dose (60,000 micrograms) of arsenic can be lethal, the amount of arsenic in drinking water is very small by comparison, and any health effects are the result of prolonged exposure over a period of years.

The more people are exposed to arsenic over time, the higher the risk becomes for experiencing health effects. Different people may have different responses to the same exposure to arsenic, depending on dose, duration, general health, age and other factors, so there is no way to know exactly what may happen in any given case. Reducing the amount of arsenic allowed in drinking water will lessen exposure and reduce risk of adverse health effects.