Sunland Park resident Tina Cedillo said her family has used bottled water to drink and cook for as long as she can remember.
The city government recently sent letters to residents of Sunland Park and Santa Teresa advising that their water may contain high levels of arsenic.
"I don't know if it's because of the arsenic. I just know we are more comfortable drinking and cooking with bottled water," Cedillo said.
Random testing of the city's water supply prompted the letter.
"I didn't know that we were out of compliance with the federal water standard for arsenic," said Sunland Park Mayor Martin Resendiz, who was elected in March. "The City Council discussed this issue at special meeting last Thursday. Since then, I learned we have plans to address this issue, and we have about $950,000 in the budget for this."
The city of Sunland Park has about 15,000 water customers. A couple of years ago, Doña Ana County officials estimated it would cost $8 million for Sunland Park to retrofit its water system to meet the new federal standard.
The federal standard for arsenic of 10 parts per billion went into effect in 2006; the previous standard was 50 ppb. Arsenic occurs naturally and also in industrial processes.
Chronic exposure to arsenic has been linked to cancers of the skin, kidneys, lung, liver and bladder.
El Paso Water Utilities invested $76 million to comply with the new standard for arsenic in drinking water, said Karole Parker, spokeswoman for the utility. "We met the 2006 deadline for the new standard."
Diana Washington Valdez may be reached at dvaldez@elpasotimes.com; 546-6140.
Originally Posted: Jun 4, 2008 at 8:46 AM Last Updated: Jun 4, 2008 at 8:46 AM
