State of Emergency Declared Over Barstow’s Water

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proclaimed a state of emergency in San Bernardino County on Saturday due to contamination of the water supply in Barstow.

Barstow residents were warned Friday not to drink local tap water until further notice after water samples showed levels of perchlorates higher than the maximum containment level of 6 parts per billion.

Residents were warned not to consume any ice, water, beverages or formula prepared with tap water.

Golden State Water Co., which is investigating the source of the contamination, began flushing out water in the system that may contain contaminants, according to a company press release.

Perchlorate is an inorganic chemical used in solid rocket propellant, fireworks, explosives, flares, matches and a variety of industries.

Residents were told not to boil the water, as that process does not reduce the chemical level. Boiling water can actually increase the concentration of the chemical in the water by reducing the H2O content.

Perchlorate interferes with the human thyroid gland, affecting hormones as well as prenatal growth during pregnancies.