Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
April 26, 2007
4. Water Quality
PERCHLORATE:
Democrats press for federal limits on rocket-fuel chemical in water supplies - Riverside Press
REGULATION:
State: Clean up coastal waters; Local governments told to curb bacterial pollution -
WATER RECYCLING PLANT:
Fillmore OKs costly plant over ratepayer objections - Ventura County Star
CONSTRUCTION FINISHED:
Village can flush once again - Marysville Appeal Democrat
PERCHLORATE:
Democrats press for federal limits on rocket-fuel chemical in water supplies
Riverside Press
By Ben Goad and David Danelski, staff writers
Solis, D-El Monte, and other members of the House Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials grilled officials from the Defense Department, the Environmental Protection Agency and others about the hazards of the rocket-fuel chemical perchlorate in drinking water and foods.
Last month, Solis introduced a bill that would force the federal government to set a drinking-water limit for the chemical. In sufficient doses, perchlorate can impair thyroid function, which regulates metabolism and guides brain and nerve development in fetuses and babies, studies show.
Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., has introduced similar legislation in the Senate. Together, the bills show that Democrats, who took control of Congress in January, are flexing their muscle on the perchlorate issue.
"That's what our new majority brought to this -- a sense of urgency," said Democratic Rep. Albert Wynn, of
Perchlorate is a component of rocket fuel and is used in munitions, flares, fireworks and other explosives. A U.S. Government Accountability Office study made public at Wednesday's hearing found 395 sites nationwide where perchlorate has contaminated drinking water, groundwater, sediment or soil. About half were in
The chemical has tainted water supplies in
"Despite the widespread contamination of perchlorate and its impact on both public health and our water supply, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Defense have engaged in a game of finger-pointing and delay," said Solis, who referred specifically to problems in
She and other panel members suggested that the EPA wouldn't force Defense Department and NASA officials to conduct significant cleanups until an enforceable limit is set.
The amount of perchlorate that causes harm still is debated.
A U.S. Centers for Disease Control study published last fall found that women with lower iodide levels -- roughly a third of the
In
"The agency has placed a high priority on making a regulatory determination for perchlorate as soon as possible," Grumbles testified. "However, we want to ensure that any regulation presents a meaningful opportunity for health risk reduction."
Alex Beehler, a Defense Department assistant undersecretary, rejected the suggestion that the military is not addressing perchlorate. The department has invested $114 million and initiated cleanup at several sites, he said. #
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_D_perch26.3c8b569.html
REGULATION:
State: Clean up coastal waters; Local governments told to curb bacterial pollution
By Terry Rogers, staff writer
State regulators yesterday discussed a plan to reduce bacterial pollution at beaches, river mouths and creeks along 62 miles of coastline from
The San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board wants local governments to identify sources of bacteria and curtail them at 28 beaches in southern
The board held a public hearing yesterday in
Unlike the agency's previous plans to reduce contaminants that can harm wildlife and aquatic habitat, this blueprint is the first aimed at safeguarding people's health by curbing bacteria in urban runoff.
Coastal cities currently suffer no penalties if their beaches become polluted by bacteria each time it rains. The new proposal would make that unacceptable.
“This plan is aggressive and ambitious – and it needs to be,” said Gabriel Solmer, a lawyer for the environmental group San Diego Coastkeeper.
Cities and counties would have 10 to 17 years to meet several milestones for the bacteria-reduction strategy, which the board said is needed to satisfy requirements of the federal Clean Water Act. The agency's proposal is modeled after a similar strategy enacted in 2003 that affects 44 beaches in
Environmentalists said the plan for
During yesterday's hearing, city and county officials peppered the board with criticism of the plan. They also asked the board's staff to specify what actions are needed to reduce the bacteria levels, and they sought more time to carry them out.
“We just don't have this thing nailed down,” said Chris Zirkle, manager of
Representatives for coastal cities said they will be hard-pressed to comply with a mandate to have beaches meet the state's bacterial standards for shellfish harvesting, which are even stricter than those to protect people from illness.
They also complained that the plan includes beaches listed by the state in 2002 as “impaired” because of chronic bacteria problems, even though several have been removed from the list or are candidates for delisting.
Christina Arias, the primary author of the plan, said cities that have lowered their bacteria counts at those beaches won't need to take greater measures. Arias included beaches where bacterial pollution has been addressed “as a way to ensure that cities remain vigilant in the effort to control bacteria,” she said.
The new proposal also accounts for bacteria from birds and other animals that congregate in waterways so cities won't be penalized for these naturally occurring sources, Arias said.
In a 4-1 vote, the water board agreed to extend the public-comment period for its plan by at least a month. The extra time will allow the agency's staff to respond in writing to questions and concerns raised by the affected governments.
The delay also means the plan, which has taken four years to develop, won't be ready for adoption in June as originally scheduled. #
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070426/news_7m26beaches.html
WATER RECYCLING PLANT:
Fillmore OKs costly plant over ratepayer objections
By Sam Richard, staff writer
The Fillmore City Council has decided to move ahead with construction of a water recycling plant.
The council voted 5-0 Tuesday to grant development and conditional use permits for the plant, over the strong objections of many residents who do not want big increases in sewage bills.
Bert Rapp, director of Public Works, confirmed Wednesday that sewage fees also will rise because of expected inflation. He added there are expected increases for maintenance and operation costs, among other expenses.
Residents paid about $15 a month in sewage fees before July 1, 2003, he said.
Currently, the average bill is about $44 a month. By the time the plant is completed, which must happen by Sept. 10, 2009, the average sewage bill would be $85 and could increase until 2014 to about $106, he said.
Customers' fees will pay for every aspect of the plant, including personnel and electricity, Rapp said. Several groups have participated in rallies, workshops and public forums questioning, and opposing, the cost of the plant.
"We're a poor community," Gary Creagle, a former mayor and council member, said before Tuesday's meeting. "If you water your lawn at all, you're looking at $200."
Rapp said the city spent "an easy $1 million" trying to find the best way to reduce costs for the new plant.
The council approved an item Tuesday night that reduced the cost of the plant by a little more than $1 million. The total price tag now is $78 million, Rapp said.
"Over the next two years the City Council is going to be looking at a variety of ways to help ease the costs" for residents and businesses, Rapp said.
The city will consider looking at how much each sewage customer produces and charge accordingly, he said. Currently, the city charges are based on average discharges by several categories of customers.
"It's an attempt to make it as equitable as possible," Rapp said.
Residents have asked the city to delay construction and study less expensive alternatives.
In a letter to Councilman Scott Lee, and copied to the other council members and City Manager Tom Ristau, the groups said the city did not look at the alternatives with "any real analysis or due diligence."
The city looked at and dismissed other alternatives, Rapp said Wednesday.
Opponents said the alternatives would cost less because they are more sustainable and use less electricity.
Gayle Washburn, a member of Citizens for Responsible Growth, said before the meeting that residents will continue exploring alternatives.
"There are options that might be less costly if we could get a proper evaluation," Washburn said. "Clearly, our low-income community can't afford this. ... We need something that the community can afford. We're not opposed to building a new plant."
The plant will be on about 12 acres at the southwest corner of River and E streets. It will be designed, built and operated by American Water, based in
The current plant has been in operation for more than 50 years and needs to be replaced, said Kevin McSweeney, director of Community Development. It is not able to meet new water quality discharge requirements.
Rapp said the city will have to pay thousands of dollars in fines if it does not meet those standards by September 2009.
The new plant will be able to meet requirements, which include treating water that has ammonia and nitrate, he said. City officials said no discharge will go into the
The plant will be financed from many sources, including developer impact fees, grants and municipal bonds, Rapp said.
In June, the city plans to sell about $62 million in bonds to help finance the plant, said Roy Payne, a consultant for the city. #
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2007/apr/26/fillmore-oks-costly-plant-over-ratepayer/
CONSTRUCTION FINISHED:
Village can flush once again
Marysville Appeal Democrat – 4/25/07
By Daniel Witter, staff writer
For the last six months, Kris Painter of
On Thursday, Painter and other
A six-month restriction on producing wastewater at the 84-home
“It’s wonderful to get back to normal,” said Painter after she arrived home with her children Wednesday afternoon. “It’s overpowering.
We’re happy, celebratory.”
The go-ahead brings to an end a nightmare that begin in mid-October when the subdivision’s wastewater treatment plant tank cracked beyond repair and spilled its contents onto the ground. Residents were put on wastewater restrictions at that time.
Then, in February, effluent from a sewage pond leaked into a creek. The county stepped in to help the River Highlands Community Services District at the request of the state. The county has been administering state and local funds to help the district replace the broken system.
The county installed a temporary system to handle waste until a more permanent system could be put in place. The district doesn’t have the money to replace the system and is seeking grants to pay for it.
In March, Ken Stedman, of MicroMedia Filtration Inc., installed his CleanStream wastewater system to help residents. The system uses advanced technologies to treat waste.
The plant has been running at a reduced rate to see how it works. Stedman has been taking lab samples of the water to see how clean it is after it’s been treated by the system.
“It’s been excellent,” Stedman said of the CleanStream. “We’ve been collecting solids since day one and we haven’t filled the tank.”
The system is ready to operate at full speed, he said. The county is ready as well, said Russ Brown,
“We want to sit back and take a look at how the facility works,” said Brown. “This weekend is going to be a good test to see how its operating with the full use.”
The county will be taking bids on a permanent system in the next few months. It is hoping to stay right around $1 million and to pay for it with a combination of loans and grants.
The last six months have been tough for everyone, Painter said.
“We came from such a bad spot. I think it was very stressful. There was a lot of turmoil – lifestyle turmoil,” she said. “We came together.
I think we pulled through very well. We’ve come out on top. We have a wonderful system.”
She said a lot of people were involved and getting the system back in order and she thanked them all.
With this unpleasant chapter behind her, she’s ready to turn to the less desirable aspects of normal life.
“I have lots of laundry to do,” she said. #
http://www.appeal-democrat.com/onset?id=47579&template=article.html
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