Local News in Brief : Pollution of Ground Water Closes 8th Well in Burbank

Another Burbank water well has been taken out of service after it was found to be polluted, the state Department of Health Services announced Friday.

The well is just south of Hollywood Way at Victory Boulevard. It is the eighth of Burbank’s 10 wells to be removed from service in five years. The wells are being polluted by ground water migrating from beneath industrial areas to the north and west.

Dale Kile, city water operations manager, said the two remaining active wells, which are near the one shut this week, probably will be tested every three months.

The city relies on the wells for about 10% of its water supply, buying the rest from the Metropolitan Water District.

Kile said state health officials reported that the concentrations of three solvents in the water tested above limits recommended by the state.

The solvents, used as dry-cleaning agents and industrial cleansers, have been linked to cancer in test animals. There is concern that people who drink water containing them over a number of years may slightly increase their risk of contracting cancer.

Kile doubts that Burbank tap water exceeded the advisory standard because water from the polluted well was blended with water from two others that meet the standard, one of which produced a much greater volume.