The City of Lindsay has won a $9.5 million settlement in a lawsuit over toxic drinking water.
The settlement wraps up 14 years of litigation that saw Lindsay fighting against SQM North America.
The backstory: California began mandating testing in 2008, which led the city to discover the problem with its water supply.
- Lindsay deactivated Well 11, which was hit the most with the chemical, in 2008 to comply with state law and filed a lawsuit against SQM two years later.
Driving the news: According to Lindsay City Manager Daymon Qualls, SQM was responsible for importing fertilizer with perchlorate to citrus farmers, starting in the 1920s.
- Perchlorate is particularly harmful to children as it disrupts the body’s intake of iodine.
- The lawsuit cost Lindsay around $3 million over the last 14 years, leaving around $6.5 million for the city to install a new two-stage ion exchange treatment plant for Well 11, which should be operational in 2026.
What they’re saying: “Protecting the health and safety of Lindsay’s residents is our top priority. This resolution is a significant step in safeguarding the health of our community and ensuring a safe, clean water supply for our residents now and into the future,” Qualls said.
