OXNARD : Water Purifier Sales Tactics Questioned

Prosecutors have begun an investigation of alleged misleading sales tactics by peddlers of water purification devices in a portion of Oxnard where well water has been found to be contaminated with nitrates.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Gregory W. Brose said Tuesday that he has received reports of misleading advertising and potentially illegal sales tactics.

Door-to-door salesmen have concentrated on Spanish-speakers in the Rio Elementary School District, where nitrate contamination of a well caused the district to shut off drinking fountains and provide bottled water to Rio del Valle School, a school official said.

In one case, salesmen used a copy of a letter sent by school district Assistant Supt. Fernando Cuevas advising parents about elevated nitrate levels in the school’s drinking water even though the residential source is not the same.

Complaints about the solicitation were first raised by school board member Judy Ridenour, who contacted the county Department of Environmental Health.

Bob Gallagher, an official with the department, said use of the letter may constitute fraud under California law, which prohibits sellers of water purification devices from making false claims about the water supply.

If the purifiers are not able to remove nitrates, this could be another form of violation, if they were sold for that purpose, Gallagher said. He said he was not aware of any home units capable of removing nitrates.

Gallagher said his office does not recommend the use of home water purification units. All home water suppliers are required to meet stringent quality requirements, he said, and most home units are expensive and require routine maintenance to be effective. Without this maintenance, home purifiers only serve to give the consumer a false sense of security, Gallagher said.

Under state law, the sales contract for the devices must specify that the consumer can cancel within three days. Any purchases made by contracts lacking that information can be canceled by the consumer at any time, Brose said.

Brose requested that anyone who believes that they had been misled or pressured into buying a system they did not want contact prosecutors at 654-3110.