DATE: Tuesday, October 21, 1997             TAG: 9710210239

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY LEWIS KRAUSKOPF, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   46 lines

DESPITE RECENT RAINFALL, CHESAPEAKE'S DRINKING WATER IS HIGH IN CHLORIDES

It rained. It poured. But the city's tap water still tastes salty.

It's too early to tell exactly how the weekend storms will affect the city's Northwest River water supply, according to the Public Utilities Department.

But for now, the drinking water remains well above the salty taste threshold.

Although Monday's chloride level was lower than it has been for most of the month, the immediate impact was not significant, James K. Walski, assistant director of the Public Utilities Department, said Monday.

Droughts are the main cause of rising chloride levels, and despite the weekend's storm, the city's rainfall is below average for the year, Walski said. As of the end of September the rainfall deficit was 6.23 inches.

The river received most of its rain Sunday, when it received 0.9 of an inch, Walski said. But it was not as much as other areas reported, he said.

The river depends on runoff from the surrounding land to lessen its chloride levels. But because of the droughts, the land might be soaking up much of the rain instead of spilling it into the river.

``The ground is so dry that we're competing with the soil and the vegetation for the rainfall,'' Walski said. ``In fact, it's hard to call it competing because all we can do is stand by and wait.''

Strong winds can also affect the chloride count, either blowing saltwater from the Currituck Sound into the river or the reverse. But the effects of the wind likely would have lasted only as long as the storm, Walski said.

Monday's chloride level fell to 360 parts per million. The chloride level in the drinking water from the Northwest River has averaged 411 parts per million for the month.

The federal taste threshold is 250 parts per million.

About half of the city's residents, including those from Greenbrier, Great Bridge and parts of Deep Creek, draw water from the Northwest River.

``We're hoping for colder, wetter months,'' Walski said. ``Emphasis on the wetter.'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphic

The Virginian-Pilot

CHESAPEAKE WATER

SOURCE: City of Chesapeake

[For complete graphic, please see microfilm]

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