Colorado Mobile Home Parks Face Water Quality Issues
Residents of mobile home parks in Colorado are facing water quality issues, with many reporting smelly, discolored water that tastes bad and could be hazardous to health. State legislators have received numerous complaints about the water in these parks, prompting concerns that many parks may not meet federal drinking water standards. Until recently, the state did not require water testing in these parks. The problem is widespread, affecting over 800 mobile home parks in the state.
One such park, Elephant Rock Mobile Home Park, has been dealing with water quality violations for the past 15 years. The two private groundwater wells that provide water to the park contain high levels of radium, a cancer-causing radioactive metal. Residents like Donald Simmons, a retired Army veteran, are forced to choose between paying $5 to shower at a truck stop or risk using contaminated water at home. The fear of long-term health effects, including cancer, has led residents to avoid drinking the tap water.
The issue is not limited to Elephant Rock. Many mobile home park residents across the state have sought help from the Colorado Poverty Law Project, a nonprofit organization that works to prevent homelessness. The project has received reports of undrinkable water and has seen pictures of brown water. Many residents, who have low incomes, are afraid to file water contamination complaints out of fear of eviction from their affordable homes.
Records from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment show that residents from about 15 mobile home parks have filed 37 complaints since March 2020. These complaints cite illness, discoloration, bad taste, and failure by park owners to notify residents of poor water quality. Some of the parks where residents have complained include Mountainside Estates in Golden, Peak View Park in Woodland Park, and Elephant Rock.
To address this growing concern, the state Legislature recently passed House Bill 1257, which allows the health department to test the water at hundreds of mobile home parks over the next five years. The law also requires park owners to remediate any contaminated water found by the testing. The bill aims to ensure that residents have access to safe and dignified living conditions.
Elephant Rock Mobile Home Park has been the target of enforcement actions in the past, with violations related to failing to monitor and report various contaminants in the water. The park’s current owner, Lucky Oliver Kim Jr., has been cited for radium violations and has failed to remedy the issue despite a court order. The state health department has issued advisories warning residents not to drink the water, and a lawsuit has been filed against Kim Jr.
Residents like Karolina Long, who have lived in Elephant Rock for over 20 years, are concerned about the potential health effects of the contaminated water. Long filters and boils the water before using it, but she remains nervous about the damage it could cause. Efforts to reach Kim Jr. for comment have been unsuccessful.
The passage of House Bill 1257 is a step forward in addressing the water quality issues in mobile home parks across Colorado. However, there is still much work to be done to ensure that all residents have access to safe and clean drinking water.
Original Story at www.nbcnews.com – 2023-07-22 15:00:41
Comments are closed.