A chloramine victim A chloramine victim (July 09, 2004)

One woman's quest to change our water

Denise Johnson Kula stepped into her shower in her Menlo Park home on Feb. 3, unaware that her water supplier had added a chemical the day before with corrosive and potentially dangerous effects. Within minutes she had breathing problems and started to faint, and had to kick the door open to escape.

Kula said she tried switching all the shampoos and soaps in her house, yet every time she showered, she had the same type of allergic response that left her wheezing for a week at a time.

"Every time I was exposed to the tap water, I had the reaction," said Kula. She even started showering at her mother's house in Morgan Hill.

After an allergist at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation diagnosed her with an allergic reaction to chloramine, Johnson asked a judge to issue a temporary restraining order against the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) to stop it from adding the chemical disinfectant to the water. The commission's response was due this week.

"I am entitled to water that doesn't make me sick," said Kula, who tried installing a $90 filter on her showerhead, but to no avail.

SFPUC officials would not comment on the lawsuit, but maintained that chloramine is safer than chlorine, which it replaced. According to spokesperson Lillian Brown, chlorine breaks down and can bond with organic material in pipelines to form trihalomethane, a suspected carcinogen.

Kula believes her allergy is the result of a chemical poisoning she suffered while studying biochemistry at UCLA. Other individuals on the Peninsula have reported skin rashes from exposure. Since filing the complaint, Kula said she has fielded calls from 35 different people asking for her doctor's phone number.

Kula is optimistic about her chances with the SFPUC. "I'm going to nail them," she said. "I'm personally going to nail them."

-- Jon Wiener

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