Water Near Lab Site Found to Be Safe

Tests of three private wells and a spring near Rockwell International’s Santa Susana Field Laboratory west of Chatsworth show that the water is safe to drink, Ventura County officials said Tuesday.

The tests were of the closest drinking water supplies downhill from the laboratory site. The results confirmed Rockwell claims that radioactive contamination found in low levels at the site had not spread downhill and posed no danger to residents in eastern Ventura County or western Los Angeles County.

Bob Gallagher, an official with Ventura County’s environmental health department, said radioactivity levels in the wells and spring were within state drinking water standards, indicating that there has been no pollution of the water supply, he said.

Barbara Johnson, president of the Susana Knolls Homeowners Assn., said area residents welcomed the results because they have been worried about their health and property values.