By LEAH BETH WARD
Yakima Herald-Republic via Associated Press

YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) -- When the fish in their son's salt-water tank kept dying, Larry and Ina Grenz of Zillah decided to have their water tested.

The results showed nitrates of 18.9 milligrams per liter, nearly double the safety limit set by the federal government.

So the Grenzes invested in a reverse osmosis water filtration system that fits under their kitchen sink and treats water from their well.

That was about five years ago, but it was not the end of their water problems.

Earlier this spring, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency tested their water as part of a broader survey of groundwater quality in the Lower Yakima Valley.

Nitrate levels from the kitchen sink were OK, but the EPA found the bacteria E. coli. Dangerous strains of E.coli can cause serious food poisoning in humans.

Outside, a tap for untreated water showed nitrates of 19 milligrams per liter.

After investing more than $5,000 in equipment so far to treat their water, and paying a separate a $42 monthly service fee to a water-treatment company, the Grenzes -- who are retired and on a fixed income -- are fed up.

"Why do I have to pay for it," said Larry. "I didn't cause it."

Larry Grenz thinks the problem is a small feedlot nearby that's leased to a dairy.

But Grenz is only guessing until the EPA conducts more sophisticated testing to determine the source.

Manure from dairy and feedlots is one suspected source of both nitrate and bacterial contamination. Other potential sources are agricultural run-off, including nitrogen-rich fertilizer, as well as septic systems, which can leak nitrates from human waste into poorly constructed wells.

More should be known from EPA this summer when results are released. But in the meantime, state health officials and Gov. Chris Gregoire are trying to decide how to spend $400,000 made available by the 2010 Legislature to help residents of the Lower Valley with contaminated well water.

Questions abound. What's the best use of the money to help as many people as possible? Which state and local agencies should be involved?

"It will be a collaborative decision on how to make the money go the farthest," said Carolyn Cox, spokeswoman for the state Department of Health's Office of Drinking Water.

A range of short and longer-term solutions are laid out in a February final report written by EPA in conjunction with state and local agencies. Among them are designating the region for special protection, which would provide a conduit for state funding; consolidating private contaminated wells into public water systems; educating the public about the risks of wells; changing agricultural practices; drilling new wells and taking legal action against polluters.

As a short-term fix, water filtration systems have advantages and disadvantages.

A good reverse osmosis (RO) system can cost at least $1,000. Experts say the water should also be pretreated, or softened, in order for the RO system to work at maximum efficiency.

"We have found if you don't put in a softener, the RO has to work twice as hard," said Liz Jones, owner of Sunnyside Soft Water, a business her father founded in 1951.

For bacteria, ultraviolet light is used as a disinfectant because the light actually rearranges the genetic material of the bug so it can't reproduce. Units installed near the well head vary in capacity and features. Prices vary too, between $400 and $1,000.

Laurie Porter, who lives on the Yakama Nation near Harrah, warns that getting RO systems to work properly can be difficult. Nitrates in her well were above 20 milligrams per liter and higher than 50 in her mother-in-law's well nearby.

Indian Health Services paid to have RO systems installed, and each household pays $12 a month for Culligan, a water-service company, for monitoring.

Trouble is, Porter was going through so many of the cellulose membranes that stop the nitrates that Culligan was losing money on the deal and asked her to install more equipment to boost the water pressure in the system.

"They said we could not remain on the plan unless we did this," Porter said.

RO systems need at least 35 pounds of pressure to work properly, said Mel Thompson of Sunnyside Soft Water. The membranes, which cost about $150, should last at least five years, he added.

"These systems need to be regularly monitored," Thompson said.

For Porter, the whole experience has been frustrating. "An RO system is only good if it is working," she said.

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Information from: Yakima Herald-Republic, http://www.yakimaherald.com

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.