Water Company Tells Gardena Residents Black, Smelly Water Is Fine To Drink
GARDENA (CBSLA.com) — Diane Morita says her tap water is so disgusting that it makes her sick.
And she's not the only Gardena resident who's got this less-than-appetizing issue.
"Black water comes out of my shower, faucets, bathtub," Morita said. "When the black water comes out, it has tiny little rocks and sediment that plug up all of the jets."
She says it's so bad, even the filters on her tankless water heater are covered in smelly, black sludge.
Representatives from Golden State Water Co. insist that Morita's predicament is isolated. They also say they flushed the pipes last week and, since then, the water has been clear.
Morita collected the water in a jar but Golden State says they couldn't test the sample because it has to be collected in special containers.
"The water meets all drinking water standards, so it should be considered safe to drink. I understand the concern, though. I was concerned when I saw the discolored water," said Kate Nutting, the general manager of Golden State Water's southwest division.
Robert Golden and his father, owners of Pat's Plumbing, have been serving the area for more than 20 years. They say residents often complain that their water smells like rotten eggs.
"It just so happens this location you can actually see the debris that people are smelling. It's actually a physical black film of something that we're not aware of," Golden said.
Other residents say the water turns black intermittently without warning. And they say no one has tested to see if it's dangerous.
"The water's black, and it smells. Ugh!" Gardena resident Emy Sebastian said.