[Water_news] 4. DWR'S CALIFORNIA WATERNEWS-WATERQUALITY-3/19/09

Department of Water Resources

California Water News

A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment

 

March 19, 2009

 

4. Water Quality-

 

County shapes plan for water-quality testing at coast

The San Diego Union Tribune

 

University fined for violating state wastewater standards

The Sacramento Bee

 

Lodi sewer decision postponed

The Stockton Record

 

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County shapes plan for water-quality testing at coast

The San Diego Union Tribune – 3/18/09

By Mike Lee

 

SAN DIEGO – County officials have crafted a plan to partially restore a high-profile coastal water monitoring program for the peak beach-going season that officially starts April 1.

 

The proposal targets popular beaches that have exceeded state standards for bacterial contamination on past tests. The 18 suggested locations for sampling stretch from the Trestles surf spot in North County to Tidelands Park in Coronado.

 

Data gathered from those spots would supplement tests taken by wastewater agencies for other sites.

 

“This will be a scaled-back program compared to what (the county) has done in the past. However, our experts tell us our monitoring will not compromise public health,” Luis Monteagudo Jr., a spokesman for Supervisor Greg Cox, said in an e-mail message Wednesday.

 

Cox's strategy could cost the county up to $150,000 per fiscal year. Monteagudo said the money would eventually be repaid by the state.

 

Ben McCue, a clean-water advocate for the environmental group Wildcoast in Imperial Beach, praised the county's efforts to continue warning swimmers and surfers about contamination.

 

“It's a great thing,” he said. “We can be a little bit more secure about beach water quality.”

 

The Board of Supervisors will discuss Cox's proposal on Tuesday at their regular meeting. McCue said several environmental groups intend to speak in favor of the plan.

 

He also urged the supervisors to seek more money from the federal government since the majority of San Diego County's beach pollution comes from Mexico via the Tijuana River.

 

Securing other sources of funding is critical, he said. Federal support would help the supervisors “know it's not going to be this cloud over the county that they are going to have to keep coming up with the money,” McCue added.

 

Since the late 1990s, California has reimbursed coastal counties for conducting tests of beach water and other related monitoring. In recent years, San Diego County has gauged water quality at 57 beach sites and reviewed outside data submitted for 41 more spots from April 1 through Oct. 31.

 

California's coastal water testing program faltered in September when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger cut $984,000 for coastal water monitoring from the state budget to help close a yawning budget gap. That prompted state water officials to pledge up to $1.97 million in bond money in November to keep the program alive for two years.

 

At that point, San Diego County's public-health leaders expected to receive about $302,000 for the 2008-09 fiscal year, by far the most for any county in California.

 

But the state's budget crisis prevented it from selling bonds, thus jeopardizing San Diego County's program and gradually leading to Cox's current proposal.

“We still have not heard from the state about their promised funding for the program and we are quickly coming up on the start of the April 1 summer testing season,” Monteagudo said.

 

In his proposal, Cox said the county should assess the merits of ramping up to the prior testing level when state money arrives. In the meantime, he wants the county to pursue financial support for water testing from the Unified Port of San Diego and coastal cities.

 

“Clearly, we need to identify a long-term funding source . . . now that the state is no longer funding it,” he said. #

 

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/mar/18/bn18quality-water-testing/?zIndex=69261

 

University fined for violating state wastewater standards

The Sacramento Bee – 3/18/09

By: Laurel Rosenhall

 

University of California, Davis, violated effluent limits at its wastewater treatment plant between April and December 2008 and will pay a penalty of $27,000 to the California Water Quality Control Board.

 

The violations are considered "non-serious." They occurred when effluent samples slightly exceeded the monthly limits for electrical conductivity set by a wastewater permit.

 

Campus officials said in a press release that salt from naturally occurring minerals caused the problem.

 

Infrastructure improvements and a new wastewater discharge permit should keep the violations from happening again, officials said.#

 

http://www.sacbee.com/local/story/1708501.html

 

Lodi sewer decision postponed

The Stockton Record – 3/18/09

 

SACRAMENTO - State water regulators will wait to decide whether to strike down the permit that allows Lodi to irrigate crops with recycled wastewater, a decision officials say could force Lodi and other agencies throughout California to change the way they treat sewage.

 

The State Water Resources Control Board postponed voting on the issue Tuesday, saying it needs more information before deciding what could be a precedent-setting matter.

 

The state water board is reviewing the permit after a challenge from environmentalists, who for years have argued Lodi is polluting the groundwater farmers tap for irrigation.

 

Lodi officials don't deny their operations at the White Slough wastewater treatment plant off Interstate 5 might be degrading groundwater quality.

But they say the issue hasn't been studied enough to confirm to what extent Lodi is responsible, and they believe other land uses, such as farming, might contribute to the problem.#

 

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090318/A_COMM05/903180322/-1/A_NEWS

 

 

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