Shaver Springs Residents Report Orange Water for Years as County Says It’s Safe to Drink
For years, residents of the Shaver Springs community have dealt with discolored tap water that stains their clothes, toilets, and showers orange — and they say the problem has gotten worse over time.
Some residents have stopped drinking or cooking with tap water entirely, making regular trips to purchase or fill containers with water elsewhere. Jennifer Taber, a Shaver Springs resident, said the water “dyes all of our clothes orange. It dyes the toilets orange. It dyes the showers orange. Like your blonde hair becomes orange.”
Another resident, Diona Yancey, recently filled several large water containers during a trip to Prather so her household would have water for drinking and her dog. “Not being able to cook with our water, barely being able to shower with our water is very disheartening and very uneasy, especially because you don’t know how it’s affecting your health,” Yancey said.
Residents say they have long been aware of concerns involving uranium, gross alpha, iron, and manganese in the water, and that contamination levels “have just progressively gotten higher,” according to Taber.
The residents provided a letter they recently received from Fresno County Waterworks District 40 stating that the water failed to meet a drinking water standard, while also stating there is no immediate risk and no need for residents to use an alternative water supply.
“I don’t think they’re giving enough facts of how severe the water really is,” Taber said. “I call that hogwash. There is no way. I invite them all to come over here and cook their food within our homes and see what we see every single day.”
Steven White, Fresno County’s director of Public Works and Planning, told FOX26 the water is safe to drink and said the discoloration is caused by iron and manganese, which he described as secondary contaminants not considered to make water unsafe to drink.
White said the county is continuing to evaluate treatment options, but treating iron and manganese would require significant infrastructure and ongoing operating costs. “Water treatment alternatives for manganese and iron are challenging at best because you basically have to find the mechanism to filter it out of the water,” White said.
White confirmed that the county does not currently have a treatment system designed for the iron and manganese issue. “We don’t have a system designed yet. We’re looking at alternatives right now,” he said.
The county has conducted multiple test wells to try to find a groundwater source without the same constituents, but those efforts were not successful. If another well is developed, White said, it could provide additional water but may still contain the same naturally occurring constituents.
The county is working with the state on potential grant funding. White said the county has secured grant assistance intended to help offset water rate increase costs for residents, but officials are still waiting for the state agreement and details about the funding amount.
Taber said she offered to pay for an independent laboratory to test the water, but the county declined. White said the county does not allow outside individuals to access or test its water infrastructure because it is considered critical infrastructure. “We don’t allow anybody to come in unless it’s the state agency or another firm that is certified through the State of California that we are aware of and know about,” White said.
White said the county conducts monthly bacteriological testing and that results are publicly available. He urged residents to work with county staff as officials continue looking for a solution and said residents with questions or concerns can contact the county directly.
The Breakdown
- Residents of Shaver Springs have reported orange-colored tap water for years, which they say stains clothing, fixtures, and appliances.
- A recent letter from Fresno County Waterworks District 40 stated the water failed to meet a drinking water standard, but also said there is no immediate risk and no need for an alternative water supply.
- The county’s Public Works director says the discoloration is caused by iron and manganese, which he describes as secondary contaminants that don’t make water unsafe to drink.
- Residents have also raised concerns about uranium and gross alpha in the water, and say contamination levels have increased over time.
- The county does not currently have a treatment system designed for iron and manganese, and is evaluating alternatives that would require significant infrastructure and operating costs.
- The county has been unsuccessful in finding an alternative groundwater source without the same naturally occurring constituents.
- The county is working with the state on grant funding to help offset potential water rate increases for residents.
What This Means for You
If you live in Shaver Springs, you’re served by a county-operated water district that does not currently have a treatment system for iron and manganese. The county is evaluating treatment alternatives that would require significant infrastructure and ongoing operating costs, and is working with the state on grant funding to help offset potential water rate increases.
The county’s position is that the water is safe to drink, even while acknowledging it fails a drinking water standard. County officials describe iron and manganese as secondary contaminants that don’t make water unsafe to drink. Residents have also raised concerns about uranium and gross alpha in the water, and say contamination levels have increased over time.
What You Can Do
The county’s Public Works director said residents with questions or concerns can contact the county directly. The county conducts monthly bacteriological testing that officials say is publicly available, though the material does not state where or how to access those results.
What to Watch
The county says it’s working with the state on grant funding to help offset water rate increases for residents, but is still waiting for the state agreement and details about the funding amount. The county has been evaluating treatment alternatives for iron and manganese but does not currently have a system designed.
The county’s stated reason for not allowing residents to hire an independent lab to test the water is that the infrastructure is “critical” and must be protected. The county says it conducts monthly bacteriological testing and that results are publicly available.
