Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation for DWR personnel of significant news articles and comment
September 23, 2008
1. Top Item -
Experts: Drought forces use of recycled water
By ALISHA SEMCHUCK, staff writer
So county and city agencies joined forces with various water purveyors on a reclaimed water delivery system called the North Los Angeles/Kern County Regional Recycled Water Project, typically called the backbone system. With roughly two weeks left before the close of the public comment period on Oct. 3, fewer than 20 people showed up Thursday night at Lancaster City Hill for a public hearing on the issue - their chance to discuss the draft Environmental Impact Report.
The majority of people in attendance represented one of the agencies involved in the project.
Keith Dyas, a member of the Antelope Valley-East Kern Water Agency, wasn't too surprised at the low turnout.
"Because of the extreme water shortage and drought, the public received the message that immediate action is needed," Dyas said. "I think the public is supportive" of the recycled water project.
"I think the state and local water districts have been very effective in communicating the urgent need to reduce domestic water consumption," Dyas said.
Even with a near-empty council chambers, the project planners kept their promise to conduct the public hearing, albeit a much abbreviated version of their presentation.
Tom Barnes, manager for the Southern California Region of ESA Water, a multidisciplinary consulting firm experienced in environmental assessments and project planning, presented an overview. He pointed out that Los Angeles County Waterworks District 40, which supplies potable water - the type that flows from kitchen and bathroom faucets - took the lead on this project. But Palmdale and Lancaster are also on board, along with Antelope Valley-East Kern Water Agency; Quartz Hill Water District; Palmdale Water District; Rosamond Community Services District; and Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts 14 and 20.
"Everyone here probably realizes water supply is a fundamental issue here in the (Antelope) Valley," Barnes said.
Various factors contributed to the Valley's water shortage, including a two-year drought and orders from a U.S. District Court judge to slow down California Aqueduct pumps in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to save a protected species of fish called the delta smelt. Those pumps send water from Northern California to communities in Southern California, including the
Furthermore, the
At the rate the Valley population is growing, by 2035 this region will have half the water needed to meet the demand, according to presentations made at stakeholder meetings of the Antelope Valley Integrated Regional Water Management Plan.
Water suppliers concurred with county and city officials that the use of reclaimed wastewater, treated to a higher level of disinfection, could keep the Valley from running dry.
Wastewater treatment plants in Palmdale and Lancaster are being upgraded from a secondary level of disinfection to a tertiary level, which actually brings the treated water to drinking water quality, though at this time
But state law allows the use of tertiary-treated water for functions including municipal and industrial needs, such as irrigating the grassy areas of parks, golf courses and cemeteries; cooling water for power plants; agricultural irrigation for fruits and vegetables; and also groundwater recharge - not by direct injection, but by blending with surface water and then being allowed to seep into the ground.
That's one way the Valley "can replace water that's been extracted - with a new source of recycled water," Barnes said.
The backbone system "integrates the whole Valley," Barnes said.
The system will connect the wastewater treatment plants in Lancaster, Palmdale and Rosamond, and then entities that want to tie into the project can do so by constructing additional pipelines.
After the backbone system is completed, project planners will tackle the next steps - construction of four storage reservoirs and construction of four pumping stations. Those phases, like the backbone system, must comply with the California Environmental Quality Act requirements which include offering the public sufficient time to comment on their support or opposition of the plans.
Those next phases of the project might not necessitate a complete Environmental Impact Report, Barnes said, but at the very least, they will require a negative declaration asserting that impact to the environment will be negligible.
Copies of the draft EIR for the backbone system can be viewed at the
Valley residents who want their comments about the project considered and included as part of the final EIR can submit a letter addressed to Los Angeles County Waterworks District 40.#
http://www.avpress.com/n/22/0922_s4.hts
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