Community to be updated on tetrachloroethylene (PCE) plume in South Lake Tahoe

The third public meeting on the groundwater contaminant tetrachloroethylene (PCE) found in South Lake Tahoe will be held on Wednesday, November 7 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Lake Tahoe Airport.

PCE was found in drinking water wells in South Lake Tahoe near the "Y" in 1989, and it remains in the groundwater today, forming a containment plume from the intersection of Highway 50 and State Route 89 and heading toward Lake Tahoe through the Tahoe Keys.

As announced during their September public meeting, the local water suppliers say the drinking water in South Lake Tahoe meets all standards and PCE has not affected it due to their due diligence and partnership.

South Tahoe Public Utility District, Lukins Brothers Water Company, and Tahoe Keys Property Owners Association are hosting the follow-up public meeting to provide an update about the contaminant, inform the public on recent actions recommended by the South Lake Tahoe Water Suppliers to protect the community’s water supply. They will also provide an update on the progress of the feasibility study being used to develop a recommended clean-up strategy to address this contamination.

The plume remains an estimated 400 acres and is 26 to 52 feet deep about 140-180 feet below the surface.

PCE is a manmade chemical that was used from the early 1960s through the mid-1980s as a solvent for dry cleaning clothes and degreasing metal. During the late 1980s, concerns about the toxicity of PCE led Federal and State environmental agencies to list PCE as a probable carcinogen and as a toxic pollutant.

Presently, five public drinking water wells in the Lukins and Tahoe Keys areas have been impacted by the South “Y” PCE Plume which starts at the site of the old Lake Tahoe Laundry Works (which was around the corner from what now is Raley's).

When PCE is detected in a well, the well is shut down and treatment is added to remove the contaminant, or an alternative source of drinking water supply is provided. Water providers in South Lake Tahoe are working together to protect and sustain our groundwater. All of the water provided by STPUD, Lukins, and Tahoe Keys water companies meet drinking water standards and is safe to drink.

The purpose of the feasibility study is to identify the most cost-effective approach to removing PCE from groundwater within the South “Y” area. The study will integrate recent information collected during the pre-design investigation along with evaluating results from groundwater model simulations. The meeting will discuss the steps involved in conducting the feasibility study and the approaches for groundwater clean-up currently being considered.

For more information, to watch the August meeting, or to live stream the meeting, visit www.stpud.us/groundwater.