A Pinal County mother is blaming her utility company for sickening her family.
Last week, Monica Cara's four-year-old daughter complained: "the air was burning her nose."
"She just kept saying, "my nose burns, the fresh air makes my nose burn." And I just said, I'm sorry sweetie," Cara said. "How do you console a child who says the fresh air makes her nose burn?"
Soon after, Cara received confirmation through a letter from Johnson Utilities.
The letter explained that for a period of time on January 14, elevated levels of hydrogen sulfide was in the air.
Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless gas, that often has a rotten egg odor. Exposure can cause breathing problems, headaches, nausea, and in the worst case scenario, death.
"This is a big deal to me," Cara said. "Not only is it my family and my children, but there are thousands of people being subjected to the same type of water and the same type of air."
Johnson Utilities blames a lagoon at its plant and chemical injectors that had clogged overnight.
Pinal County officials confirmed to ABC15 they were aware of the issue. We requested a comment from Johnson Utilities but did not receive a reply.
