Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
February 24, 2009
4. Water Quality –
By ALLISON GATLIN, staff writer
The process, which uses a mixture of chlorine and ammonia to remove compounds deemed toxic by regulators, has become controversial in other communities that AVEK serves.
AVEK General Manager Russ Fuller addressed Tuesday's meeting of the City Council about the agency's plans.
AVEK's water has been found to exceed standards for trihalomethanes. These compounds, known as THMs, form when chlorine comes in contact with organic materials, such as decaying plant life, in surface water like that in the California Aqueduct.
Based on reports from the Environmental Protection Agency, THMs have been correlated with an increased risk of contracting certain types of cancer.
Another means of treating the water to remove THMs is by filtering it through granular activated carbon, a process that is effective but very expensive, Fuller said.
The water agency is preparing its water treatment plants to use a combination of chloramines and granular activated carbon.
Other water agencies that receive water from the state use chloramines either alone or in combination with granular activated carbon or other compounds, Fuller said.
Unlike the chlorine used today to disinfect the water supply, chloramines are very slow-acting, which means the chemical stays in the water longer. While not a problem for normal drinking or washing, it can be harmful for use in dialysis or for fish aquariums, Fuller said.
"Chloramine, from a health standpoint, is perfectly safe," he said.
This stand, however, has not prevented a great deal of controversy throughout AVEK's service area regarding the use of chloramines.
To counteract the effects of chlorine already existing in other water supplies, individual water providers - such as cities and water districts - can either treat the AVEK water themselves to remove the chloramines or mix it with sufficient other sources of water to dilute the concentration, Fuller said.
In addition to the issue of water quality, the agency and its customers are also concerned about water supply issues.
AVEK's water comes from the State Water Project, bringing water from
A federal judge's order has drastically cut the amount of water released into the State Water Project from the Sacramento Delta in order to protect the endangered Delta smelt.
This has meant significantly less water available to AVEK customers, Fuller said. For next year, the agency is predicting it will receive only about 9% of its allotted amount from the State Water Project, but hopes to make up the difference to 15% of its regular allotment with other sources.#
http://www.avpress.com/n/23/0223_s4.hts
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