Idaho mobile home park gets new water source
Current well contaminated with uranium
Sunday, July 6, 2008 5:47 PM PDT
BOISE (AP) — The Idaho Public Utilities Commission has ordered a private water company to start supplying water to a mobile home park in southwest Idaho that is currently supplied by a well contaminated with uranium.
State regulators told the Eagle Water Co. to start water service to 74 homes at the Floating Feather Mobile Home Park by July 18. If the company declines, regulators said, residents at the park may request service from United Water of Idaho.
‘‘We find no excuse for the company’s failure to address and remedy its system deficiencies in a timely manner,’’ the commission said in a statement. ‘‘Floating Feather’s situation is a health issue requiring immediate and prompt action.’’
The mobile home park on Horseshoe Bend Road gets its water from a private well that state environmental officials have determined is contaminated with uranium.
Rick Felix, owner of the mobile home park, since February has been trying to connect the park to Eagle Water Co. He filed a complaint with the commission, saying that owners of Eagle Water Co. made assurances the mobile home park would be hooked up to the system, but instead delivered nothing but delays.
Company officials said they haven’t been able to add the mobile home park because it is under a Department of Environmental Quality consent order forbidding it from adding new customers until it overcomes its lack of infrastructure within its existing system.
The mobile home park needed permission from the commission to seek water elsewhere because it is against state law for a utility to offer services inside the service area of another regulated utility unless the commission gives its approval.
Felix said United Water has a water mainline next to the mobile home park.
As for the moratorium Eagle Water Co. is currently under that prevents it from adding new customers, officials with the company said they have a draft agreement with the city of Eagle to connect to the city’s water system during times of emergency, such as fire.
If the Eagle City Council approves the agreement, which would cost Eagle Water Co. $4,000 a month, the moratorium could be lifted on the company adding new customers.
