An area water company received approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to operate an arsenic filtration system.

The system, currently operating at the Montezuma Rimrock Water Company, is already up and running, said Patsy Olsen, operator for the water company.

It allows the water company to reduce the levels of arsenic in the water, a chemical that can be dangerous and is often found in wells around the Southwest.

The removal of arsenic has been a greater issue for several wells since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency tightened arsenic regulations over a decade ago.

The company is also appealing an order from Yavapai County to shut down the water company by Dec. 20 and make the property vacant.

“We’re filing an appeal with the hearing officer,” Olsen said. “I don’t know how long the appeals process would take.”

The issue would then go before the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors for a review of the evidence for and against the water company’s case.

For the full story, see the Wednesday, Nov. 28, edition of The Camp Verde Journal.