Ventura County Homeowner Claims Water With High Chlorine Levels Is Making Family Sick
OJAI (CBSLA.com) — A homeowner in Ojai said too much chlorine in her family's tap water has made them sick.
"Every time I showered, I just kept smelling this really strong chlorine smell of bleach," said Jennifer Arellanes.
Arellanes said she shortened her showers, but still felt a negative impact from the water.
"I started to wheeze a little bit and sometimes I would cough," she said. "I noticed a huge change in my hair, bumps on my arm and skin."
Jennifer's husband, Rick, decided to test the tap water, much like he tested their swimming pool.
"I was really surprised the levels were this high. (The tester turned yellow)… that would be ideal for a pool situation. But for drinking water? Definitely not healthy for you," he said.
The family started to use filtered water for brushing their teeth. They also started to drink bottled water.
A representative with Golden State Water Company, which supplies water to the family, said they are state-mandated to disinfect the water with chlorine and ammonia.
They sent an inspector to check the family's water and said the chlorine level was at 1.5ppm, which is in the normal range.
Some scientists believe ingesting water with high levels of chlorine can cause cancer, but it's impossible to know whether the levels are high enough to pose a risk to the Arellanes family.
