By John Cox
The Bakersfield Californian
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Inmates at Lerdo jail have been warned against drinking the facility’s well water after samples tested positive for diesel fuel.
A spokesman for the State Water Resources Control Board said by email Tuesday afternoon that a recent test of one of the facility’s two wells found traces of the fuel. The agency is providing guidance as the local operator tries to determine the source of the contamination, he added.
Spokesman Blair Robertson noted there is no maximum acceptable amount of diesel fuel in drinking water. The jail is exploring the use of its other well as its water source, he said, but first it must ensure that groundwater is safe to drink.
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office released a statement shortly after noon Tuesday confirming the water has been declared unfit to drink but did not specify the contaminant. It issued the “temporary water advisory” after receiving calls about the situation Tuesday morning from The Californian.
KCSO’s news release said the state board recommended using alternative drinking water “as part of an ongoing maintenance project at Lerdo.”
It said potable water is being provided at the facility and that water coolers have been distributed to all its housing units.
“The Sheriff’s Office is working closely with regulatory agencies to complete maintenance and conduct water quality testing,” the KCSO release stated. “Updates will be provided once the water is confirmed safe for normal use.
“The health and safety of our staff and those in our custody remain our highest priority.”
Local resident Dustee Cramm, who said her son is at Lerdo, said he told her Friday inmates there were advised not to drink the water but that they may shower in it. She was skeptical that even bathing in it was safe.
“Pores take in everything on your skin,” she said. “There’s no way it can be safe to shower in.”
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