Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
July 24, 2008
4. Water Quality –
California water dispute halts new projects, SHOWDOWN: Area cities file suit. State and regional resource boards have 90 days to respond.
Long Beach
New Report Says Providing Water for Fish is the Surest Way to Create Water Supply Reliability for California Farms and Cities
YubaNet- 7/23/08
Elevated levels of chemical contaminant found in La Quinta Ridge mobile home park's water supply: Residents supplied 2 gallons a day
The Desert Sun- 7/24/08
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California water dispute halts new projects, SHOWDOWN: Area cities file suit. State and regional resource boards have 90 days to respond.
Long Beach
By Samantha Gonzaga, Staff Writer
The state's Water Resources Control Board has halted all new water-related construction in the
It's the latest development in a years-long dispute involving the 2005 Basin Plan, a set of stormwater standards and guidelines for the disposal of waste water.
About 21 cities and the nonprofit legal group Building Industry Legal Defense Foundation filed a lawsuit against the state and the Los Angeles Regional water boards, arguing that the standards were not achievable, lacked "sound science" and would be too costly for cities.
Richard Montevideo, the attorney representing the cities - among them
"By doing that, they are going nuclear," he said. "It's just unfair that they would take such a misinterpretation of it for some odd reason to wreak havoc in the regulations community."
The State Water Resources Control Board and Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board have 90 days to respond to the writ, said Signal Hill Councilman Larry Forester. Forester is also spokesman for the Coalition for Practical Regulation, an ad hoc committee of 39 cities.
"We need to recognize that all levels of government - local, state and federal - have limited financial resources," he said.
A call to the state board seeking comment was not returned.
In a July 16 memo, State Water Resources Control Board chief counsel Michael Lauffer said the board can't continue permits for the discharges of construction and industrial stormwater within the
"The prohibition on processing enrollments will remain in effect only so long as the State Water Board remains subject to the prohibitory terms of the writ of mandate."
It will remain so until the water quality standards have been reviewed and revised "where appropriate," he wrote.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Thierry Patrick Colaw on July 2 ordered the regional board to "void and set aside" the Basin Plan and to reopen and review water quality standards in the plan that applies to stormwater and urban runoff after "a full and fair public hearing or hearings."
Colaw also ordered that the standards be revised, where necessary, for water quality conditions that are achievable and takes into consideration their economic impact on "dischargers" like cities.
"In a perfect world, I'd love to stop all contaminants entering the storm drain," said Assistant City Manager Leo Mingle. "But it is possible from an engineering standpoint? No.
"
They range from "aggressive" enforcement of stormwater permits for construction taking place in the city, to weekly sweeping of the city streets, to screens designed to intercept trash before it hits the catch basin.
Forester said his city's program dealing with stormwater runoff will continue. Included in the efforts is $900,000 in state funding invested in trash-collection devices at the Hamilton Bowl, a flood drainage basin, and a study on heavy metals such as copper, lead, zinc and chromium.
"Why are we still doing something? We have to," Forester said. "We want to be responsible, we want to use good science, but as importantly, we also want to use coordinated standards."#
http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_9965724
New Report Says Providing Water for Fish is the Surest Way to Create Water Supply Reliability for California Farms and Cities
YubaNet- 7/23/08
The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) report is titled "Finding the Balance: A Vision for Water Supply and Environmental Reliability in
"Our water supplies will remain vulnerable as long as we allow the environment to remain at the brink of disaster," said Laura Harnish, EDF's Regional Director in
State and policy leaders have launched several efforts to address the crises, including creating the Governor's Blue Ribbon Delta Vision Task Force, supporting an Assembly bill to release emergency funds raised by earlier bonds, and proposing a new $9.3 billion water bond just announced by the governor. A local think tank, the Public Policy Institute of California, also recently released a report supporting the construction of a new peripheral canal around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
"We have great opportunity right now to create a reliable water supply for future generations of Californians and for salmon as well," said Cynthia Koehler, an environmental lawyer and consultant for EDF, and an author of the report. "If the plans under development can meet the criteria we set out in this report, we can have a system that meets all our environmental and water supply needs in the long term."
The report's recommendations include:
* Provide adequate freshwater flows to restore fisheries and habitat in the Bay-Delta to self-sustaining levels, and make sure the projected levels take into account the looming effects of global warming;
* Guarantee stable and secure funding so that key restoration projects are not merely planned, but executed;
* Create financial incentives that will encourage all Californians to do a far better job of conserving water;
* Create legally mandated performance measures and legal safety nets;
* Improve enforcement so that water managers will be held accountable and promises will be kept.
"We believe that
Elevated levels of chemical contaminant found in La Quinta Ridge mobile home park's water supply: Residents supplied 2 gallons a day
The Desert Sun- 7/24/08
Marcel Honore
State and local environmental officials running tests last month at the La Quinta Ridge Mobile Estates found higher-than-allowed levels of a chemical contaminant, perchlorate, in a well serving some 350 residents.
The chemical, used in fireworks and munitions, has been shown to affect human thyroid hormone production. It could affect prenatal and childhood growth, and disrupt normal metabolism and mental function in adults.
Since the discovery six weeks ago, residents at the 55-and-over community say they have been allotted 2 gallons of potable water per day per household to drink, cook, and brush their teeth.
“It sure would be nice to go to the sink and get some nice water,” said Terry Garcia, 68. Her patience is wearing thin at progress to restore clean running water. “Fix it. Get it done.”
This isn't the first time La Quinta Ridge Mobile Estates' water has shown elevated amounts of perchlorate.
The California Department of Health established in October a maximum of 6 parts-per-billion for perchlorate in state water supplies. The recent samples from the
Officials at Costa Mesa-based Cal-Am Properties, which owns and manages the property, declined to comment on the situation.
“It's not a big deal, I'm still drinking it,” onsite community manager Marguerite Kaczmarski said of the water on Tuesday. After speaking with Cal-Am officials, she declined further comment.
County health officials say they don't know how the perchlorate got in the well, or how long it's been there. The well hasn't been shut off, but residents received notices last month not to drink the water.
La Quinta Ridge resident Robin Ford said he's worried the perchlorate levels at the 55-and-over community could lead to health problems.
“The older people probably have more of a risk because their systems aren't as strong,” Ford said.
He and other residents interviewed said they were unaware of any health issues related to the perchlorate.
Meanwhile, they're growing frustrated with the onsite management. “We have had no communication with anybody,” Ford said.
When resident Dutch Haling waters his lawn, he says the water has a pungent sulfur smell.
Some residents say they've been washing their arms and legs with the bottled potable water after taking a shower, worried about the smell and the contaminant.
Garcia said she commutes to her daughter's Rancho Mirage home to shower. “These are supposed to be our golden years,” the retiree said.
She and others worry about kids — many of them visiting grandchildren — who have continued to use La Quinta Ridge's on-site swimming pool. It was unclear Wednesday if water from the pool came from the well.
Deadline approaching
The Riverside County Department of Environmental Health set the Aug. 18 deadline for a plan, but it's unclear how long it would take before La Quinta Ridge residents have clean running water.
John Watkins, deputy director of Riverside County Department of Environmental Health, couldn't give a “firm date” but he was optimistic the problem could be resolved swiftly because the park is hundreds of feet from the nearest
Gary Lewis, general services manager at the Indio Water Authority, estimated it would cost up to $150,000 to connect the park to city water.
“It's the property owner's responsibility — it's a business decision on their part,” Lewis said.
The city of
“We understand the exigency of the issue,” said Mark Wasserman, assistant to the city manager.
Government officials said they can't pressure Cal-Am to act beyond the deadline for the plan.
Riverside County Supervisor Roy Wilson is “mad” at the situation, but has “limited abilities,” said
If the deadline passes, the county could charge $1,000 a day for the violation, Watkins said.
Watkins said La Quinta Ridge's well is the only small water source in Riverside County that has tested above the maximum perchlorate level since the state set its standard in 2007.
The county reviews water sources that have 199 connections or fewer. The California Department of Health reviews those with 200 connections or more, including water districts.
Watkins said state officials would notify the county if excessive perchlorate levels were found in the larger water supplies, such as those from the Coachella Valley Water District and Desert Water Agency. The county has not received any such reports, he said.#
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