Dead rats and frogs discovered in Camp Pendleton water supply

Rat and frog carcasses were discovered by water safety inspectors visiting Camp Pendleton, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Rats rotting on a reservoir gate, a dead frog clinging to a ladder and a rodent carcass floating in treated water were found by inspectors during a June visit to the Marine Corps base.

Despite the nauseating discovery, Camp Pendleton officials say the water — consumed by some 55,000 Marines and their families — is safe, and that there is no need to boil water or take other precautions, according to a memo circulated by the base’s leadership.

“Simply put, the water is and has been safe to drink,” base spokesman Carl Redding told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “Camp Pendleton is committed to providing safe and compliant drinking water. This is a duty and responsibility that we take very seriously.”

State and federal investigators, however, found “significant deficiencies” in the systems comprising the base’s water treatment program.