Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
September 20, 2007
4. Water Quality
SEWAGE SPILL:
Rainbow water district may face big fines for sewage spill; - North County Times
Guest Opinion: Rainbow's secret sewage spill - North
FLUORIDE:
MWD ups fluoride in water; Yorba Linda plant will start introducing chemical, meant to aid in dental care, Nov. 19. - Orange County
SEWAGE SPILL:
Rainbow water district may face big fines for sewage spill;
By Darryn Bennett, staff writer
BONSALL -- A 540,000-gallon sewage spill that could cost the Rainbow Municipal Water District $5 million in fines "absolutely" could have been avoided if the district hadn't abandoned plans two years ago to build roads into the area, a district engineer said Wednesday.
Two days elapsed before crews were able to pinpoint the exact location of the Sept. 4 spill north of I-15 because many of the manholes in the area are buried and inaccessible for routine maintenance, according to a district staff report.
District officials said Wednesday the spill doesn't pose a threat to the water supply and that all upstream sewage flow was immediately diverted into container trucks. Ratepayers won't experience any service disruptions, said Gene Buckley, the district's interim general manager, adding that any fines levied against the district won't lead to increases in water bills.
The district said it discovered the spill, caused by overgrown roots blocking the pipe, on Sept. 4 after an abnormal meter reading.
A road stretching 200 feet into the area was constructed so crews could contain the spill. Roughly 70 percent of the blockage has been removed, but crews still haven't gained the access necessary to complete the job, district engineer Brian Lee said.
"We're not Lewis and Clark, and these manholes are nearly impossible to find," he said. "Gaining access to these manholes so we could properly maintain them should be a very high priority."
The only other alternative, Lee said, is to relocate the line entirely.
Last week, Lee recommended a $2.5 million, three-phase project to the Board of Directors to lessen damage, update facilities and prevent future root intrusions. That estimate doesn't include any fines levied by the Regional Water Control Board against the district.
Currently, the district is stuck in the first phase of the proposal, repairing damage resulting from the spill and the road. Lee said later phases won't be discussed until late October. Clean-up efforts, the district said, have also been slow because the affected area is environmentally sensitive and home to several protected species, so the district has to work with multiple state agencies.
"We can't just go plowing through it with a bulldozer," said Buckley, the district manager.
Lee said the regional water board probably will not levy the maximum fine allowed by law, but that the district must abide by its laundry list of requirements to clean up the spill. Lee added that he would be "ecstatic" if the regional water board decided to only impose the minimum of $10,000 in fines, or another amount less than the maximum $5 million.
A proposal to build roads to increase access to the spill area was turned down by Rainbow's board two years ago after the California Department of Health Services cited the board for failing to cover its open-water reservoirs. After fines were levied, Lee said, the board halted all other capital projects to save money.
"It's possible, but hard to say for certain, if the blockage would have been prevented," Buckley said, "but if the manholes had been more accessible, maintaining the lines would have been easier."
Lee added that the water control board considers a district's history when determining the amount of the fines levied. Rainbow's last major spill was in 2003, and although the district has a "politically spotty history," its environmental record is sound.
"I'm working to demonstrate that although most of the information people have about us involves our high turnover rates, that has nothing to do with the day-to-day operations," Lee said. "I need to make the regional board understand that difference."
Dave Seymour, hired as general manager by district directors last month, was scheduled to take over Monday, but that date has been pushed back for undisclosed reasons.
"He is already up to speed on the situation and will be ready to jump in next week," Buckley said. #
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/09/20/news/inland/3_01_249_19_07.txt
Guest Opinion: Rainbow's secret sewage spill
By Helene Brazier, Bonsall resident
Since the Rainbow Municipal Water District special meeting on Sept. 10, I have scanned the media for word of the sewage spill of Sept. 5. As of this writing, Sept. 15, not a word has appeared in the public press. Rainbow water district may face big fines for sewage spill
"What sewage spill?" you ask. The blocked sewer line that spilled 540,000 gallons of raw sewage into wetlands east of the "bridge to nowhere" off Interstate 15 in Fallbrook.
On Sept. 10, district engineer Brian Lee presented a description of the spill and what actions had been taken, and a proposed plan for mitigation of the spill and for actions already taken (including cutting a road to get to the site of the problem). He expressed a very appropriate sense of urgency in addressing and mitigating the situation.
During an hour and a half of discussion, one director repeatedly argued with the term "hazardous waste," saying that human waste had been used for centuries to fertilize crops. One said at least the information hadn't gotten out. There was talk about $8,000 to $12,000 being enough to spend, and of sending out crews with shovels to dig up all the manholes. I commented from the audience that the money for a consultant would be well spent to keep the situation from getting worse. Another director didn't want to rush into spending money for a consultant. He wanted to authorize a minimal amount, with the engineer coming back to the board for further authorization. (Why does RMWD hire professional people, only to micromanage their every move?)
Why was the newly organized Communications Committee not brought in right away to use the skills of those wordsmiths to craft a press release? Is it because that committee's mission is (in the words of the blue sheet included with Rainbow's bills), among other things, "positive public image ... and other public relations programs"?
In the interest of full disclosure, I resigned from that committee because I wanted the freedom to write letters like this, and felt a personal conflict of interest. I believed the committee was organized to provide information to the public, not to be the board's PR arm. I agree that it is good for the public to hear about staff promotions and awards and other positive things, but we also need to know that there was a sewage spill of 540,000 gallons in a wetland. We need to know that a proposal to do something about the neglected area where it happened was turned down by Rainbow's board two years ago.
A number of sitting directors used "transparency" and "public trust" in their campaigns for office, but seem to have forgotten that. Ratepayers have the right to know the state of our district, warts and all. This is the only way we can make informed decisions about the critical issues facing the district -- and us. #
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/09/20/opinion/commentary/19_44_189_19_07.txt
FLUORIDE:
MWD ups fluoride in water; Yorba Linda plant will start introducing chemical, meant to aid in dental care, Nov. 19.
Orange County
By Adam Townsend, staff writer
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is bringing its fluoridation system up to par with other regions with its decision to add fluoride to
The MWD will start bringing fluoridation systems online at its five massive filtration plants over five weeks starting next month.
The Robert B. Diemer Plant in
"With adding fluoride,
The district spent about $5.5 million on the chemical injection equipment to add fluoride to tap water and keep it at the 0.7 milligrams-per-liter level optimal for building of tooth enamel and preventing cavities.
According to the American Dental Association, fluoridated water costs about $1 per typical family every year. For every $1 spent, the
Edgar Dimally, the metropolitan district's senior environmental specialist, said that tap water throughout
"Metropolitan's source water contains fluoride, but we're adjusting it up to the optimal level," he said. "Though there is some benefit from any level below that."
http://www.ocregister.com/news/water-fluoride-county-1849042-district-orange
####
No comments:
Post a Comment