Santa Clara County Investigated For Possible Water Pollution Law Violations
SAN JOSE (KCBS) – The largest water provider in Santa Clara County is being investigated for allegedly polluting its own drinking water.
On January 12, when the valves of the Coyote Dam were opened, a small amount of hydraulic oil leaked into the reservoir. But this is the not the first time it has happened. There have been eight such leaks since 2001.
KCBS' Matt Bigler Reports:
The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office is investigating the leaks but Santa Clara Valley Water District Spokesperson Marty Grimes said the spills have had virtually no impact on water quality.
"The amount is very small. It gets dissipated so there's no evidence that we have any impact to the environment or to our water quality," he said.
Grimes said they plan to replace the leaky hydraulic systems at a price of $5 million each, but that won't happen until the reservoirs are drained as part of a retrofit project over the next 10 years.
The DA's Office has notified the Water District that they could be fined up to $25,000 in connection with the latest spill.
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