Dangerous levels of arsenic found in water at another Thermal mobile home park

Eliana Perez, Palm Springs Desert Sun
·2 min read
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Dangerous levels of arsenic have bene found in water at another Thermal mobile home park near Pierce Street and 76th Avenue in Thermal.
Dangerous levels of arsenic have bene found in water at another Thermal mobile home park near Pierce Street and 76th Avenue in Thermal.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has cited D&D Mobile Home Park in Thermal for having water with dangerous levels of arsenic — a known carcinogen that can cause severe health problems if consumed at high levels over a prolonged period.

An emergency order from the EPA gave the park owners 24 hours to start providing residents with at least one gallon a day of free, safe alternative water, such as bottled water, and one month to fix their arsenic reduction system and hire a certified water system operator. A press release on the order was issued this week, but an EPA spokesperson said the order was made Jan. 31.

Park owners must also issue a public advisory for all of its residents, in English and Spanish, regarding the emergency order and the risks associated with arsenic.

Failure to comply could result in penalties of up to $28,239 per day.

“EPA is committed to protecting the health of our communities, including communities that have historically faced inequity of environmental protection, by ensuring their drinking water is safe and reliable,” regional EPA Administrator Martha Guzman said in a prepared statement. “We will continue to fully utilize our EPA toolset to make sure that safe drinking water standards are met.”

Chair of the State Water Resources Control Board Joaquin Esquivel, left, Torres Martinez Vice Chairman Joseph Mirelez and U.S. EPA Region 9 administrator Martha Guzman meet to talk about toxic water issues in Thermal, Calif., on Wednesday, May 25, 2022.
Chair of the State Water Resources Control Board Joaquin Esquivel, left, Torres Martinez Vice Chairman Joseph Mirelez and U.S. EPA Region 9 administrator Martha Guzman meet to talk about toxic water issues in Thermal, Calif., on Wednesday, May 25, 2022.

A report from the EPA showed D&D Mobile Home Park's quarterly sampling results for arsenic in 2022 reached a running annual average of 11.6 parts per billion (ppb), which exceeds the maximum of 10 ppb.

Arsenic is odorless and tasteless and can enter drinking water supplies from natural deposits in the earth. Many mobile home parks in the eastern Coachella Valley draw water from wells underground.

In the release, the EPA noted that exposure to arsenic may result in both acute and chronic health effects. If consumed at high levels over many years, arsenic can increase the chance of lung, bladder and skin cancers, as well as heart disease, diabetes and neurological damage.

Since February 2020, the EPA had identified deficiencies with the water treatment plant at D&D and gave park owners a deadline to fix the issues by May 2021. "That was not met," an EPA spokesperson said.

D&D is home to mostly agricultural workers and is located within the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians Reservation in Thermal. While the tribe has no direct control or ownership of the park's water system, the EPA said it works closely with tribal leaders and has consulted them about the recent violations.

Eliana Perez covers the eastern Coachella Valley. Reach her at eliana.perez@thedesertsun.com or on Twitter @ElianaPress.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: EPA finds dangerous arsenic levels at another Thermal mobile home park