SPANISH FORK — State and county health officials will test water draining from a landfill-turned-housing development and city water coming into the development to see if it's safe.
Initial tests of water draining from the former unregulated trash dump show that it's toxic to aquatic life, said Don Ostler, director of the state Division of Water Quality. But further testing needs to be done to see if the water is a danger to humans, he said.
Those initial tests were conducted for attorney David Boyer, representing 32 residents and nine households living at Spanish Fork Ranch, a new manufactured home subdivision built on top of the landfill. Boyer said he hasn't ordered the secondary test to measure the danger of the water to humans. But Ostler said the city and state would conduct the initial test again and the secondary test as well.
"We don't have their data," Ostler said.
As part of the construction of Spanish Fork Ranch, pipes were placed in the ground to drain off water from the old dump site and lower the water table. The water drains into a wetlands area where children play, Boyer said, and wends its way into Dry Creek. Testing shows what is in the landfill and what residents may have to deal with. Several children have fallen into the water in the wetlands area, he said.
The city and the state Division of Drinking Water Quality will also conduct tests of the culinary water going into the homes in the subdivision to make sure that toxins aren't being absorbed through the plastic water pipes that comprise the city-owned system, Ostler said.
"We want to be thorough," county environmental health director Terry Beebe said. County health officials have told residents that living in Spanish Fork Ranch doesn't pose a health problem, but officials want to be sure, he said.
Tests, including tests for methane gas under the homes and the depth of the covering over the landfill, began after residents complained that garbage from the old landfill was resurfacing in their yards. The dirt cap was found to be inadequate in several areas.
The decision for further testing came out of a meeting Thursday between the county health department and the city and state environmental agencies.
The initial findings will likely result in amending the lawsuit against developer Ron Jones of St. George pending in 4th District Court, Boyer said.
The lawsuit started as a breach-of-contract action, alleging that the developer failed to provide amenities promised to home buyers. It is now moving in the direction of personal injury, Boyer said.
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