WATER CONNECTIONS COMPLETED ON 1200 HOMES IN THE YAKIMA RAILROAD AREA

Washington State Department of Ecology

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 7, 1995
95-193

CONTACT:
Rick Roeder, Ecology (509) 454-7837
Libbie McClaflin, Ecology (360) 407-6144
Dueane Calvin, Yakima City (509) 576-6480

YAKIMA--Residents in 1200 Yakima/Union Gap households are now hooked up to the city’s water system after years of receiving bottled water, because of possible chemical contamination in drinking water wells.

Ecology provided $6.4 million to the cities of Yakima and Union Gap to extend city water services to all residences within the Yakima Railroad Area.

"Making sure people living in the Yakima Railroad Area have clean water has been one of Ecology’s highest priorities,” said Mary Burg, Ecology’s toxics cleanup program manager. "The cities have done a great job at working together to accomplish this. Now, when families turn on their faucet, they will have clean water to drink.”

Residents used ground water as the main source of drinking water until contamination was detected in 1987. Perchloroethylene (PCE), a solvent and cleaning agent used in dry cleaning, pesticide formulation, machine shops and other industrial practices, had been detected in 28 private drinking water wells out of 40 tested. Residents were offered free bottled water until their homes were connected to city water.

"We were glad that a lot of people took advantage of our offer to connect to city water. It’s been a good project and rewarding to know that the citizens of Yakima and Union Gap don’t have to rely on bottled water anymore,” said Dueane Calvin, City of Yakima Water Department’s water and irrigation engineer.

In addition to the 1200 homes, about 64 homes along 9th Avenue will also be hooked up as part of ongoing efforts to characterize the extent of ground water contamination and protect public health. These residents are now being encouraged to sign up for bottled water until hookups can be started next spring.