ONE FISH, TWO FISH DEAD FISH, BLUE FISH

By Jessica Blum

The death of two goldfish in Mammoth’s tap water has awakened concern about the water quality in our town.
Within hours in their new bowl, Tropical Thunder* and Flash* were found afloat, a scene to which an observer remarked, “If the fish are dying in the water, I’m not drinking it.” This skepticism has called forth an investigation to clarify an understanding of the drinking water quality in Mammoth Lakes. (* Names changed to protect identity of the goldfish.)
A visit to Mammoth Pet Supply was the likely first step in determining the cause of death of the goldfish. Known to many fish owners, the chemical used to purify our faucet water, chlorine, is fatal for fish. Shop owner Stephanie Wolff said that fish and reptiles cannot tolerate the slightest bit of chlorine because their thin, scaly layer absorbs the chemical quickly, and affects their gills, quite like humans breathing in an overwhelming amount of pollution. What comfort do humans have in drinking chlorine-treated tap water that suffocates living creatures?
In 1904, Chlorine was officially added as a cheap and effective protective agent because it proved its strength by wiping out Cholera bacteria and Typhoid fever. Today, it guards against disease causing organisms such as Crypto and Giardia.
In 1993, Milwaukeeans experienced the tragic event of losing loved ones to water-borne parasite Crypto that killed 100 and sickened 400,000 due to neglect of regulating chlorine residuals. Fortunately, the Mammoth Community Water District (MCWD) keeps tight watch on chlorine levels. Operators are notified by an alarm set off by electronic sensors when the chlorine level is below or above a certain threshold.

Local chlorine content

The MCWD promotes a local standard of chlorine added to the water not to exceed 1 ppm (parts per million), well below the state law that enforces chlorine levels to fall under 4 ppm. In fact, our town maintains levels within the range of .3 – .5 ppm.
It is to much relief that chlorine levels are well monitored, but consuming small amounts of this chemical through drinking water, as well as absorbing it through our pores and ingesting its vapors from our daily showers, adds up.
While rescuing us from dangerous bacteria chlorine may be exposing us to bladder, colon and breast cancers.
When chlorine reacts with organic matters in the water, dangerous disinfection by-products (DBPs), known as Trihalomethanes (THMs), are formed, triggering free radical production that causes cell damage. THMs end up sitting in the bladder and colon and damages these organs.
Researchers from Hartford, Conn. also found that “women with breast cancer have 50% to 60% higher levels of organochlorines (chlorination byproducts) in their breast tissue than women without breast cancer.”
Dr. Yuri Parisky, Director of Medical Imaging at Mammoth Hospital, feels that the link between cancer and chlorine has not been adequately studied, and focuses on research that correlates estrogen levels with breast cancer. Though he does not negate the possibility of chlorine being a cancer-causing chemical, he feels that there are too many other variables that affect a control group, which hinders the consistency and accuracy of the analysis.
A study was done using two groups of chickens, one group drinking chlorine-treated water and another drinking non-chlorinated water. The study revealed that chickens which drank water without chlorine showed no sign of disease while chickens given chlorinated water showed circulatory diseases in every bird, to which Parisky gave the skeptical response, “animal models don’t always work with humans.”
This may be a valid statement from one who has developed an immunity to cancer-scare fads from aluminum to microwaves, but considering that chlorine is an acidic, poisonous, greenish-yellow gas that burns the lungs and body tissue upon ingestion and was used as a deadly weapon in World War I, perhaps this research should not be overlooked.
It is up to scientists to find an alternative and inexpensive method of killing bacteria in water. Until then, looks like we’ve got chlorine.
Wolff offered tips to keep fish surviving in tap water and to protect humans. Let the tap water sit for at least 12 hours to let the chlorine evaporate, use a dechlor in the water, or purchase water that has been treated by reversed osmosis.
It may be easiest just to purchase a filter to connect to your home faucet.

Lead

One possible cause of concern in Mammoth’s drinking water is lead. The mineral is not found in the local lakes from which water is pumped, but it can be found in corrosion from the pipes that carry water into your home. Homes built before law prohibited the use of lead in plumbing systems in 1985 may have lead material either in the pipe or the solder used to combine pipes.
The MCWD is currently replacing older pipes with ductile iron, a process that is halfway done and will be finished in four years.
If you are concerned about lead in your drinking water, take precaution by letting tap water run for about 30 seconds to flush out the water that has been sitting in the pipes. Also, do not drink or cook with hot water straight from the tap as the high temperatures dissolve lead more quickly. It is recommended to have the water tested if your have older plumbing. Info: 934.2596 ext. 230.
Despite a few reasons to be cautious of drinking tap water, it is fortunate that “We are at the top of the watershed,” said Water Operator of MCWD Glenn Van Orsdal, indicating that consuming from a local source, the Lakes Basin, is a reason to be thankful we live here. Bottom of the watershed is San Bernardino, where the source is “wastewater that is first recycled and then treated,” as MCWD’s former General Manager Gary Sisson pointed out. When questioned whether or not consuming recycled wastewater created risk for residents, Glenn grinned and replied, “See how they drive on the freeway?”