U.S. Water News Online
WAILUKU, Hawaii -- Maui County has conditional state approval to stop adding a chemical to water in the Upcountry area that residents say causes itching and rashes.
The state's Safe Drinking Water Branch granted conditional approval to end use of phosphoric acid to control lead levels in the water and replace it with a process using soda ash.
More than 150 Upcountry residents have complained of allergic reactions and other health problems they blame on county water in their homes.
Under the conditional approval, the county will be required to first monitor water for harmful levels of nitrites and nitrates.
William Wong, chief of the safe water branch, said in a letter that undetected nitrification in the water system could limit the effectiveness of the new process.
Mayor Alan Arakawa said he wants to stop the use of phosphoric acid as soon as possible, hopefully within a month.
"I have ordered that steps toward meeting the ... conditions be taken immediately so the county can terminate the use of phosphoric acid as soon as is practicable,'' Arakawa said.
The acid has been added to Upcountry water since July 2002. It results in a coating on the interior of old pipes, preventing lead from leaching into the water supply.
The soda ash method has proved to be effective, but Wong said it also has to be regulated to prevent increased sodium levels in the water supply.
Jacky Takakura, a water department spokesman, said the county was able to reduce phosphoric acid levels last month when lead levels fell below federal levels that require treatment.
The county has a $500,000 federal grant to conduct water studies.
Earlier this month, the state Health Department said it would conduct a study to determine if phosphoric acid was causing the allergic reactions in residents.
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