LEAD, COPPER THREAT? HOMEOWNERS WORRIED ABOUT WATER FROM TAPS.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer

PALMDALE - When Suzie Jablonski bought her home last summer in a cul-de-sac of the Country Club Vista development near the Rancho Vista golf course, she thought, ``this was a deal where we intended to stay there.''

But soon after moving in, she began to notice bluish-green water stains in her master bathtub and shower stall and a distinct metallic taste to the water. Her 5-year-old son, the youngest of her three children, began getting stomach aches, diarrhea and cramping at night before going to bed.

Jablonski's sister, who lives across the street, reported the same staining in her bathroom fixtures and even on her hair.

Suspecting a problem with her home's copper pipes and feeling developer Beazer Homes was unresponsive to her concerns, Jablonski paid to have her sister's water tested, and the results came back showing lead and copper at levels violating U.S. EPA standards.

``We are scared to death. We are worried. Everything in the house is within a warranty period. These things should be taken care of in a timely manner. Beazer claims they are one of the builders with the best craftsmanship. They said they have the most caring customer service. We all feel let down, abandoned and neglected,'' said Jablonski, an assistant to an attorney in a construction defect law office.

Beazer officials said they are investigating the problem and have retained a water quality engineer and a toxicologist to determine the source, scope and severity of the problem.

``We are trying to figure out if the copper pipes in the house are deteriorating or if it's the water. We haven't been able to identify preliminarily what it is,'' said Gregg Gipe, senior vice president of operations at Beazer, who added he became aware of Jablonski's concerns only last week. ``I've talked to Suzie. I assured her we will do the right thing and take care of the problem.''

Los Angeles County water officials have tested water from 60 homes in the development but weren't ready to release any results because the tests have not been concluded. They did say the water going into the homes from the county water system is clean.

``Our water has no lead and copper in it,'' said Gordon Phair, associate civil engineer with the local county waterworks district. ``It's not a problem in any other regions getting the same water.''

The Environmental Protection Agency has set the maximum allowable level of copper in drinking water at 1,300 parts per billion and for lead at 15 parts per billion.

Short-term exposure to excess amounts of copper include gastrointestinal distress, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps. Long-term exposure could lead to kidney or liver damage, the EPA said.

Ingesting too much lead could cause delays in physical or mental development in infants and children. In adults, it could cause kidney problems and high blood pressure, the EPA said.

Tests performed by the Tustin firm hired by Jablonski showed that the copper was at 5,240 parts per billion and lead at 17 parts per billion, Jablonski said.

Beazer officials did their own tests at the homes of both of Jablonski and her sister. The results indicated levels of copper in the water drawn from the kitchen and master bathroom that exceeded government standards but no detectable amounts of lead, records show.

The copper levels ranged between 3,400 to 3,900 ppb at Jablonski's house, and between 4,800 to 5,200 ppb at her sister's house, according to the Beazer tests, records show.

In a letter sent last week to Jablonski, Gipe said, based on a consulting engineer's advice , ``we do not believe that these (copper) levels pose a health risk.''

Gipe added that after contacting a toxicologist ``specializing in poison control ... we have been informed that the levels of copper found in your water do not present a danger.''

Gipe added the engineer believes that a contributing factor is a water softener that has been installed in the Jablonski home. ``(T)he softening of the water deprives the water of its ability to form a protective layer of calcium carbonate on the interior surfaces of the copper pipe, thus leading to higher levels of dissolved copper in the water. If you have not already done so we again advise that you disconnect the water softener in your home,'' the letter said.

Gipe wrote, ``Our investigation has produced no evidence that there is a problem with the plumbing in your home.''

But Jablonski said a neighbor who does not have a water softener had his water tested, and results showed high levels of copper and lead.

Jablonski said she researched copper pipe problems and found information about a ``blue water case'' in Northern California. The problem stemmed from pipes coated with oil that made the inside prematurely corrode and rot, she said.

Jablonski said pipes made by the same company are in her house.

Jablonski said she doesn't want to file a lawsuit because it would take at least two to three years to work its way through court. ``This isn't something that you can wait two to three years to resolve. My sister wants to have another baby, and no one cares,'' Jablonski said.

Jablonski said neighbors from 15 homes on her street are reporting green water stains.

Jablonski said her family now uses bottled water for everything, from cooking to brushing teeth. Since the switch, her son's health problems have disappeared.

``You can't brush your teeth with the water. If you taste the water, it's so metallic. It stays in your mouth for 20 minutes. When you sit in the bathtub, the water has a green tint to it,'' Jablonski said.

Jablonski said she wanted to put in a pool this summer but has changed her mind. Her feelings for her $240,000 home have shifted.

``If something is wrong with the house, who wants to put $50,000 in the house? It's put our life on hold. To think you can't even sell your house, we've lost a major investment,'' Jablonski said.