Each year, the City of Clovis’s Public Utilities Department conducts an annual water quality report to ensure that the water in our community is safe to consume.
The annual water quality report released this year was conducted between January 1 and December 31, 2020.
“A variety of sampling is required,” said Paul Armendariz, the assistant director of public utilities for the city of Clovis.
The different types of sampling take place over different time periods, be it weekly, monthly or quarterly.
“Things are always evolving, no matter what’s in the water,” says Armendariz, who has worked for the city of Clovis for 17 years.
This is why water quality reports, samples, assessments and various other tests are performed so periodically and repeatedly.
“We are very proud of the water we serve,” said Armendariz, “we have done a great job historically and hope to continue to do so.”
One specific result found from some samples is lead exposure in plumbing.
According to the authors of the Annual Water Quality Report, “we [City of Clovis Water Division] are responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but we have no control over the variety of materials used in plumbing components.”
To avoid ingesting lead from a home water source, it is recommended that you flush your faucet for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using it.
If you are concerned about this, you can request a water test by calling the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791 or online at www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
The reviews of sampling from the years before, 2006, 2009, and 2015, have shown that the water supply in the city of Clovis is vulnerable to pesticides, fertilizers and pollutant plumes, which are dangerous pollutants that find their way into an aquifer.
There are also vulnerabilities to the quality of water that were later found in human waste and activities such as automobiles, such as in gas stations and repair shops, metal plating due to technology, landfills and dumps, sewage systems, dry cleaners, junkyards, plastic(s), bus terminals and underground tanks.
Fresno County gets their water from 36 underground wells and the Kings River which is filtered by the Enterprise Canal.
“There are two main portable sources of drinking water,” Armendariz said, “ground and surface water.”
Groundwater includes aquifers and municipal springs, while surface water comes from the Enterprise Canal and the Kings River which runs through the city’s surface water treatment plant.
“We want to make sure that we provide our customers with good quality water that meets federal standards,” says Armendariz.
The annual water quality report discusses why it is important to know what may be in your drinking water.
According to the report, the amount of contaminants in tap water is regulated by both the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board).
If you are interested in attending the Clovis City Council meetings, they are open to the general public at 6:00 PM on 1033 Fifth Street in the Clovis City Council Chamber every first, second and third Monday of the month.
“If she [the people of Clovis] want their voices to be heard, our councilors represent our residents,” Armendariz said when asked why it is useful to attend the meetings.
They are available in person and virtually to know what is happening in the Clovis community.
An example of an event in our city that not many people know about is that the public utilities department is giving up to $75 in discounts to people in Clovis who can prove they’ve traded in their old toilet or washing machine for a more environmentally friendly and efficient one; one that uses less water.
This is just one of many conservation programs that the Public Utilities Department offers to people interested in improving the communities in which they live.
If you have questions about these types of programs, call the Public Utilities Department at (559) 324-2600.
“The main goal for our city is to protect our citizens and customers,” Armendariz said, “and we will continue to do our part.”
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