Every day, 87 employees and 15 to 20 visitors at Associated Feed and Supply, a feed producer located on West Main in rural Turlock, have to resort to drinking bottled water instead of accessing their own wells for tap water.

Why? High levels of arsenic.

In an attempt to obtain clean water, Associated Feed has requested a direct connection to the City of Turlock water system. If the Turlock City Council approves the connection at its Tuesday meeting, a 1,335 feet line would pump 2,000 to 5,000 gallons of water for the lot per day. In a letter written to the council, Associated Feed President Matt Swanson urged the board to approve the connection due to the public health concern the current water poses.

“To this date we have not been able to come up with a reasonable solution for the water system to ensure safe drinking water for the employees and visitors at Associated Feed,” Swanson wrote. “We feel that in order to provide safe and healthy drinking water for employees and visitors it is critical that we be allowed to tie into the City of Turlock’s water system.”

Earlier this year, Stanislaus County sent out a notice of violation to Associated Feed, stating that the company needed to figure out a system of controlling their arsenic levels, which exceeded the state limit of 0.010 mg/L.

According to Swanson, a connection to Turlock is the only possible solution.

“The ultimate answer for Associated Feed is to connect into the City of Turlock’s water supply,” Swanson wrote.

Based on the current Municipal Code, the City of Turlock can extend water service to areas outside city limits, but the city would need to obtain the approval of the Stanislaus Local Agency Formation Commission to do so.

On Tuesday, the council is also expected to:

-  Host an informational workshop regarding the Draft Water Rates and Water Capacity Charges study.

- Authorize an agreement between the City of Turlock and Keyes Community

Services District for the disposal of sanitary sewer collection system solids to the Turlock

Regional Water Quality Control Facility.

- Approve a Memorandum of Understanding among Stanislaus County Office

of Education, the City of Turlock and the Turlock Unified School District, and authorizing

the acceptance of an allocation of funds and execution of a grant agreement to

implement the ASES Program (Supporting After School for Everyone).

- Approve the appointment of members to the Mayor’s Economic Development

Task Force.

The Turlock City Council meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Yosemite Room at City Hall, 156 S. Broadway.