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SOUTH JORDAN — Dozens of Daybreak residents said they believe contaminated water is to blame for rashes, itchy skin and even severe burning.
Several of them tested their water with at-home test strips and said those tests came back positive for levels of chromium-6, which is a chemical that can cause cancer.
However, officials with the city of South Jordan conducted their own testing and said the water is safe.
Melissa Wagner lives in the Creekside area of Daybreak. She said she’s concerned about rashes that developed on her 3-year-old son and 6-month-old baby.
“Oh my gosh, it’s so much worse,” Wagner said, pointing to her son’s rash. “It is so much more inflamed than it was just recently and you can actually feel with your finger that it’s all over.”
Wagner believes the water is to blame for the rashes on both of her sons, and she’s not alone.
“Everyone is very alarmed and there’s a lot of people who have way more severe reactions,” Wagner said. “It’s very concerning to me to think about how bad the water must be if you’re getting burn-like rashes from it.”
Dozens of people commented on a Daybreak Facebook post, complaining of burning and itchy skin.
We take resident safety seriously and we thank those who brought their concerns to us. To see the test results, click here: https://t.co/omrBMyUnQx
— South Jordan City (@SouthJordanUT) October 21, 2019
Several people, like Wagner, have even tested the water. They said it’s coming back positive for chromium-6, which can cause skin irritation and even cancer. It’s also a chemical brought to light by the movie Erin Brockovich.
“I mean I’m shocked. This is not a movie. This is real life. This is my real baby, this is my real son,” Wagner said. “We bathe in it. We wash our clothes in it. We drink it.”
South Jordan City officials tested the water as well. They checked three locations; the water source and two residences. But they say the tests came back negative for chromium-6.
“Our residents’ safety is our top priority and from the first concern that came out, we answered and got test results within 24 hours,” said city spokesperson Rachael Van Cleave. “The water in South Jordan City is safe. We are not concerned about it at all. Everybody can be happy with the water that we have here in the city.”
Folks like Wagner were happy to hear that but still want to figure out what is causing issues for so many people.
“I feel like obviously, it’s going to need some further testing but I really hope that it stays in the public eye and that all of this stays transparent and it doesn’t get swept under the rug,” Wagner said.
Van Cleave said sometimes at-home test strips are not very accurate but if anyone is still concerned about their water, they should notify the city.
Some of the residents who believe their water is contaminated said they will be hiring a professional company to do further independent testing.
