PINON PINES MUTUAL WATER COMPANY

 

1467 Tecuya Drive

Frazier Park, CA 93225

661 245 4003

661 245 4420 fax

 

April 2005

 

Information Regarding the Water System for Potential and New Residents of Pinon Pines Estates

 

The Pinon Pines Mutual Water Company is a privately owned water provider formed specifically to develop and maintain a safe, reliable and adequate supply of water for use by the Lot Owners within the geographical boundaries of Pinon Pines Estates.

 

The Water Company is owned by the Lot Owners of Pinon Pines, each lot equals one share in the Water Company. The shares are nontransferable.

 

The ongoing activities of providing water are overseen by the Board of Directors. There are five members on the Water Board. Meetings are held monthly on the second Tuesday at the Firehouse. All Shareholders or persons interested in Pinon Pines are encouraged to attend these meetings.

 

The Shareholders are provided water from wells that are within the property lines of Pinon Pines. There are three main producing wells located in the field along Whispering Pines Drive. A smaller well in the same area and two small wells located in the upper parts of Pinon Pines are used as emergency backup sources of water.

 

Wells 5 and 6 are the main producing wells for the community. Well 6 has recently gone through an extensive “overhaul”. Treatment systems are in place to control bacteria and assure that water delivered is safe for consumption.

 

The newest Well 7 was drilled, developed and placed into service about two years ago after a thorough evaluation of the geologic conditions present in Cuddy Valley. This well has excellent production, and does not appear to be heavily dependent on the rain / snow levels of recent years. This is comforting considering the drought years that have been the norm recently.

 

Test pumping and in use production has, however, shown that Well 7 does exceed the State maximum contaminant level (MCL) for fluoride of 2 milligram per Liter (mg/L). In use testing has shown that fluoride levels are fluctuating between 3.2 and 3.4 mg/L. The national requirement for maximum contaminant levels of fluoride is 4.0 mg/L.

 

When the levels of fluoride were discovered to exceed the state allowed mcl, a vote of all Shareholders was taken, and the Shareholders overwhelmingly approved the delivery of water to all residents of water with a mcl of 3.0 mg/L of fluoride. To deliver the lowest amount of exposure of fluoride containing water to the Shareholders, Well 7 is not operated until demand requires its use.

 

 

Well 7 will not placed into service until demand on the water system exceeds the capabilities of the other wells that produce water meeting the mcl for fluoride. When this occurs, the water from Well 7 is “blended” into the system to minimize the fluoride levels.

 

The system is constantly monitored and tested to assure that the water delivered to the individual properties has the minimum fluoride level obtainable. There are times when, during the dry summer months, demand is extraordinarily high and the water delivered to the Shareholders can exceed the maximum contaminant levels of 3.0 approved by the shareholders.

 

The concern is that excessive levels of fluoride have shown that the levels can have a detrimental effect on some children under the age of nine.

 

Fluoride in Drinking Water

 

At low levels, fluoride can help prevent cavities, but children drinking water containing more than 2 milligrams per liter (mg/L) of fluoride may develop cosmetic discoloration of their permanent teeth (dental fluorosis).  During certain times of the year, the drinking water provided by the Pinon Pines Mutual Water Company has a fluoride concentration ranging from 2.5 to 3.2 mg/L.  Dental fluorosis may result in a brown staining and/or pitting of the permanent teeth.  This problem occurs only in developing teeth, before they erupt from the gums.  Children under nine should be provided with alternative sources of drinking water or water that has been treated to remove the fluoride to avoid the possibility of staining and pitting of their permanent teeth.  You may also want to contact your dentist about proper use by young children of fluoride-containing products.  Older children and adults may safely drink the water. Drinking water containing more than 4 mg/L of fluoride can increase your risk of developing bone disease.

 

We do not recommend boiling water because that will increase the concentration of fluoride.

 

Some home treatment systems are available that remove fluoride from drinking water. Information about the available devices can be obtained by calling the California /Department of Health Services Water Treatment Device Unit at (916) 449 5650 or visit the department website at: www.dhs.ca.gov/ps/ddwem/technical/certification/device/table.htm

 

The Pinon Pines Mutual Water Company is actively pursuing methods of minimizing the fluoride levels of water delivered to our “customers”. The water distribution system, as installed, requires that all water to replenish our storage tanks must pass through the main distribution piping before it reaches the main storage tanks at the highest elevation on the development. This creates times when the fluoride levels are higher than desired. Every effort is made to pump water into the system when water usage is and the use of water containing the higher than desired levels of fluoride is minimal.

 

Water treatment systems appear to be prohibitively expensive and create wastes that will have to be disposed of in special ways that can create more costs to the Shareholders.

 

The best system to minimize the delivered fluoride levels appears to be a more effective blending method. The Water Board is currently pursuing the possibility of the construction of a “Bypass Pipeline” that will pump water directly into the Storage Tanks. This will eliminate delivering water to any property until it has been efficiently blended for a maximum reduction of fluoride levels.

 

Some preliminary cost studies have been done and the Water Board is actively pursuing funding sources for the installation of this piping system. Additional information will be provided to the shareholders as it becomes available.

 

It appears that the available quantities of water should meet the demands of Pinon Pines Estates for the foreseeable future.

 

Conservation of this critical resource must always be of the utmost importance. Costs of pumping the water out of the ground and maintaining the system continues to rise. Extensive testing is required when Well 7 is in use to monitor fluoride levels so every effort is made to reduce the amount of time this well is in use.

 

Pinon Pines is geographically in a high desert environment. Any landscaping should be done with these conditions used as a guideline. It is highly recommended that a good automatic irrigation system be installed with any plantings. There are good sources of information available on the Web, and other sources, that will assist in designing a good efficient landscape. The soil in Pinon Pines is a heavy clay type that requires much less water than other types to provide sufficient moisture to plants.

 

Maintaining your property in good condition and maximizing the use of water efficient appliances and devices is always encouraged.

 

Pinon Pines Estates is and will remain one of the most desirable areas in this area. The Water Company continues to work toward that goal and with continued help from all of the Shareholders, all will benefit.

 

If you have any questions, please call the numbers above or contact any of the Water Board members.

 

Thank you for your interest in Pinon Pines.

 

 

Board of Directors

Pinon Pines Mutual Water Company