The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken action against the Havasu Water Company in Southern California by issuing an Emergency Administrative Order under the Safe Drinking Water Act. This decision follows repeated water outages that pose a risk to public health due to potential contamination from bacteria or other harmful organisms.
Martha Guzman, EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator, stated, "Ensuring the safety and reliability of drinking water across all communities, regardless of their size or economic status, is a primary focus for our agency." She emphasized the agency's commitment to using its authority to protect public health and ensure compliance with drinking water standards.
The order requires Havasu Water Company to provide alternative water sources during incidents necessitating Boil Water Notices. Since March 2022, the company has been under such notices for approximately 300 days due to various issues causing water outages and pressure loss.
Additionally, the company must develop procedures for responding to pressure loss incidents, have a third-party contractor assess their distribution system, correct major deficiencies, and ensure certified personnel conduct essential duties. The order also mandates that Boil Water Notices be issued in accordance with EPA regulations during any pressure loss incident.
Havasu Water Company has previously failed to issue timely Boil Water Notices on multiple occasions and distributed misinformation that undermined required notices. This emergency action follows a previous administrative order from May 28, 2024, addressing violations of National Primary Drinking Water Regulations related to total trihalomethanes levels and other operational failures.
Located along Lake Havasu's western shore within the Chemehuevi Indian Reservation boundaries, Havasu Water Company serves about 361 people through surface water filtration treatment and chlorination.
For more details on this order and other EPA actions or to report environmental law violations, visit EPA’s regulatory oversight website or enforcement reporting site.
