For immediate release: November 9, 2009 (09-176)
Contacts:
Carolyn Cox,
Drinking Water
360-236-3162
Gordon MacCracken,
Communications Office
360-236-4072
Water system owner faces stiff state fine for negligence
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Health announced
today it will fine Conrad Elledge, the owner and operator of a small water
system in Snohomish County, $34,240 for gross negligence and intentional
violations of drinking water rules.
The fine is one of the largest the agency has ever levied against a water
system. It reflects repeated violations of
rules requiring owners to
properly maintain their water systems in order to protect customers’ health.
Owners must regularly monitor the water for potentially harmful substances and
inform their customers when problems arise.
The agency’s Office of Drinking Water also plans to revoke Elledge’s license to
operate the Mount Forest Water System for one year. The system serves 27 homes
in unincorporated
Snohomish County, just north of the Snohomish-King county line and west of High
Bridge Road along 224th Street Southeast and 161st Avenue Southeast.
Elledge has a long record of violations since he developed the Mount Forest
Water System about 20 years ago. The Department of Health has taken previous
compliance action against him for failing to:
- Provide water at adequate pressure. The Mount
Forest Water System experiences frequent outages.
-
Monitor the water regularly for bacteria, lead,
copper, naturally occurring radioactive contaminants, nitrate, and other
potentially harmful chemicals.
-
Monitor the water regularly for bacteria, lead,
copper, naturally occurring radioactive contaminants, nitrate, and other
potentially harmful chemicals.
-
Respond to customer complaints.
-
Notify customers of water quality and water monitoring violations as
required by federal law.
-
Employ a certified water system operator.
-
Arrange for a sanitary survey of the water system.
Agency records show Elledge complied with the order for a time, but has lapsed
into a pattern of the same violations. As a result, the agency is taking strong
enforcement action against him.
“He has been given ample opportunity to meet requirements designed to protect
the health of his customers,” said Denise Clifford, director of the Office of
Drinking Water. “Our many phone calls, letters, warnings, and orders obviously
weren’t getting his attention.
“We’d much rather reach out and help water system operators and owners be
successful, as we’ve done with this situation, but we cannot tolerate conditions
that jeopardize public health.”
Elledge has 28 days to appeal the fine
and license revocation to the state Department of Health’s Adjudicative Services
Unit.
###
