A water company that services parts of Monterey County, Calif., has been ordered to pay a record fine for breaking federal law regulating drinking water.
A federal judge has ordered the Alisal Water Company to pay a $500,000 fine for violating the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.
The fine is the largest penalty ever against a public water system.
The case involves privately owned drinking water companies operated by Alisal Water that services 28,000 consumers in Salinas, Calif., and other parts of Monterey County.
The federal government originally filed the action in 1997 alleging that the company submitted false drinking water reports to state and local regulators in the early 1990s.
An attorney for Alisal Water says they will probably appeal the case.
Source: Tha Associated Press
