Water Conservation
Arsenic Background
The Virgin Valley Water District serves drinking water to a population of approximately 17,000 people in Clark County, Nevada. The District relies exclusively on groundwater wells located throughout the District’s service area. To meet the growth in water demand in the District’s service area, several additional wells have recently been drilled and prepared for operation. Unfortunately, the District’s groundwater contains naturally occurring arsenic at levels ranging from 5 micrograms per liter (5µg/L) to 86 µg/L. Until 2001, the limit on arsenic in drinking water was 50 µg/L arsenic standard. In 2001, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) lowered the maximum allowable arsenic level in drinking water to 10 µg/L. Compliance with this new limit was required by January 2006. In order to meet this new limit, the District has installed arsenic treatment systems at many of its wells.
The addition of five arsenic treatment systems for a total capacity of 12,100 gpm (17.4 MGD) constitutes a substantial increase in the District’s water treatment activities, not to mention the significant financial commitment required to construct, operate, and maintain these systems. Due to the updates, the arsenic levels are now within EPA limits.