Water Utility held Liable for Conaminated Water

[Guest guest]

In a novel interpretation of water quality laws, the California Supreme

Court held a water utility liable for contaminated water supplied to

residents.

It holds promise that a water utility, with resources to test water quality

may start to be more careful and not just " pass through " whatever is out

there.

arnold

Interesting Turn of Events

> California High Court Allows Suits Against Water Companies

>

> By Cat Lazaroff (from the Environmental News Service)

>

> LOS ANGELES, California, February 6, 2002 (ENS) - In a precedent setting

> victory for clean water rights, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday

> that people harmed by drinking contaminated water can legally sue their

water

> utility for failing to provide clean drinking water.

>

> The ruling came in the case of about 2,500 San Valley residents

who

> sued industrial polluters and water companies over the alleged

contamination

> of their water supplies. Many of the plaintiffs claim they contracted

cancer

> or other diseases after drinking water polluted by industrial solvents,

solid

> rocket fuel and other chemicals.

>

> Most previous such lawsuits have targeted only the polluters responsible

for

> contaminating groundwater supplies, not the utilities that pump the water

to

> consumers. This case, the first to test the legal basis for holding

utilities

> responsible for delivering clean water, could provide an example for

similar

> litigation across the state and nationwide.

>

> The rest of the story is here:

> http://ens-news.com/ens/feb2002/2002L-02-06-06.html

>

> CK

> New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation

> http://www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof

> (If this isn't working use the following two URL's:

> http://web.archive.org/web/20010702162916/www.orgsites.com/ny/nyscof/

> http://www.enn.com/direct/display-by-affiliate.asp?id=1765

>

> Fluoride Action Network

> http://www.fluoridealert.org