The Mono County Environmental Health Department has found a local water system in violation of water quality standards for having too much uranium in the water.

Water quality in the Mountain Meadows community water system, which includes about 150 homes near Crowley Lake and Hilton Creek, has tested at over twice the allowable quantity of radio active uranium, according to Mono Environmental Health Director Louis Molina. The water system has been out of compliance for over a year.

Molina says that uranium occurs naturally in areas with granite bedrock, and there are likely no short term health consequences, but over the long term there could be an increased cancer risk.

Staff that runs the Mountain Meadows water system has told Molina that the problem has been solved by mixing the water that is high in uranium with water from other wells that is not high in uranium. The issue now, Molina explained, is that Mountain Meadows hasnt shown the county that the water problem has been fixed.

Its possible the water system meets the standard, he says, but until they show us, we cant be sure. Molina says that the county will consider enforcement action.

Anyone worried about water quallity can check out reverse osmosis filters that can be attached to a faucet. Molina says that there are laboratories that can be found on the internet that will test water for uranium as well.

Discover more from Sierra Wave: Eastern Sierra News

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading