Salt Lake City officials warn East Central residents of contaminated water

SALT LAKE CITY — Water testing instigated by last month's oil spill in Red Butte Creek has uncovered low levels of a toxic chemical in seven locations in the East Central neighborhood.

State officials stress that the presence of perchloroethylene, or PCE, found in seven springs mostly on residential property are not part of the drinking-water supply.

"This is bubbling up in people's backyards; people are not drinking it," said Dale Urban, a site assessment manager with the Division of Environmental Response and Remediation.

Salt Lake City public utilities director Jeff Niermeyer said the city just received results of tests conducted in late July that indicate the presence of the chemical in springs in the area bordered by 1100 East and 1300 East, between 800 South and 1000 South.

Though the contamination is not at sufficient levels to create skin-contact issues, city officials are asking residents to keep children and pets out of backyard springs, and they're encouraging thorough washing following any exposure. Niermeyer said the springs do not produce potable water, but the city has issued a precautionary warning against drinking from those sources.

Niermeyer said the Salt Lake Valley Health Department has been notified of the test results and will conduct further investigation of the contamination.

Urban said the test was precipitated by the detection of a "sheen" that people thought may have been related to oil spill into Red Butte Creek in June.

Sampling did not reveal any petroleum-based contaminants.

"The chemistry ruled that out," he said. "The sheen most likely has been there for years and years as the result of organic decay. Regardless, the solvent was detected."

PCE is a solvent historically used in dry-cleaning operations or as a degreaser. It is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency as a hazardous chemical because long-term exposure of sufficient quantities has been linked to cancer.

Additional testing of water fountains at Liberty Park and a water station on 800 South and 500 East, all fed by underground aquifers, also have been tested and show no signs of the contaminant.

The presence of PCE in groundwater in Woods Cross and Bountiful earned a Superfund designation by the EPA because the contaminant had made its way to domestic drinking-water wells. Cleanup of that site is expected to take more than decade.