General (15)
Susana Barrios
From:Stephanie Mercadante <burglin.stephanie@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, June 23, 2026 6:29 PM
To:Public Comment
Subject:\[EXTERNAL\] On Behalf of Tom Fielder, District 1, Councilmember Ryan Balius
Warning: This email originated from outside the City of Anaheim. Do not click links or open
attachments unless you recognize the sender and are expecting the message.
For public comment on June 23, 2026:
I want to direct your attention to Anaheim's Annual Water Quality Report emailed to residents on June
19, 2026.
Buried on page 10 of the report is a warning specifically for people with compromised immune
systems. It states that some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than
the general population, including individuals undergoing chemotherapy, organ transplant recipients,
people living with HIV/AIDS, older adults, infants, and others with weakened immune systems.
My question is simple: how many times has the City publicly discussed this warning to Anaheim’s
most vulnerable residents?
We know residents were exposed to PFAS-contaminated water from Well 51. If the water from that
well was not a concern, the well would still be operating today. But it isn't in operation, BECAUSE of
the PFAS chemicals.
Did the City warn residents when Well 51 distributed PFAS chemicals throughout our drinking water
supply for 74 days in the Annual Water Quality Report?
No, the City did not. There is no mention of Well 51. Was that intentional? What City employees
decided that important information should not be shared with the Anaheim community? Who
lied? Who covered it up?
You are the governing body of this City. Your responsibility extends far beyond ribbon cuttings, photo
opportunities, and ceremonial proclamations. It means asking difficult questions, demanding
accountability, and ensuring the health and safety of the residents you were elected to serve.
We DEMAND to know: Why hasn’t the City Council launched an immediate independent audit
investigation into this failure? You have an audit team at the City. You literally have auditors planted
at the Lenain Water Treatment every single day.
The audacity of this City Council to remain silent rather than find out why Anaheim residents were
subjected to PFAS in our drinking water is an all-time low for this Council.
For at least 74 days, people drank that water. Families drank that water. Children drank that water.
Seniors drank that water. Individuals with cancer and compromised immune systems drank that
water.
Every unanswered question, every refusal to investigate, and every uncomfortable fact ignored by
this Council becomes part of the public record.
You may be comfortable with silence. The residents of Anaheim are not.
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