Water Supply is a Complex Issue

By Joseph C. Reichenberger

Water supply in California is a complex issue. Experience and technical expertise is essential to making the correct decisions. Don't play politics with your water. Entrust your water district to a professional.

The San Gabriel Groundwater Basin has been designated by the EPA as a "Superfund Site" because it is so contaminated. Some of this contamination has led to the shutdown of one of the City of Monterey Park's water wells. I have always been a supporter of groundwater clean-up having served on the San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority as one of it's original commissioners. I voted to support a low interest loan to the the City of Monterey Park from the District's reserves to enable the City to construct a new treatment plant to quickly get the well back on line. This not only provided needed water for the hot summer of 2000, but saved the City nearly $80,000 in interest.

I have supported a program to recycle water to drought-proof the District. The State Water Project which supplies supplemental water to Monterey Park is unable to deliver the amount that the District contracted for years ago during years with less than average rainfall. This is due to a number of complex water quality and environmental issues in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, water demands from neighboring states, and reductions in the City of Los Angeles' Owens Valley supply. Water banking and the use of recycled water will allow the City of Monterey Park to get through these periods.

Lower than average rainfall reduces the amount of water necessary to maintain water quality in the Delta. This affects threatened and endangered fish species and causes increases the the mineral content and the amount of natural organic and inorganic contaminants in the water since there is less flow to "flush" these out to the ocean. These contaminants form disinfection by-products, some of which are thought to be cancer-causing, when a disinfectant is added to the water as part of the treatment process. Whether the water is used directly for drinking or indirectly recharged into the ground to supplement the groundwater, the water quality of the groundwater is affected.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has their right to the Colorado River water cut in half. This means they will be increasing their use of State Project Water to make up the difference. Although the San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District is independent of Metropolitan, we are affected since the State Water Project is the District's only imported water source.

Environmental restrictions on the amount of water the City of Los Angeles can export from the Mono Basin (to increase water levels in Mono Lake) and the Air Quality Board mandate to use some of the City's Eastern Sierra supply water to keep dust down in Owens Dry Lake, will reduce their supply. Recent concerns about Chromium 6 in the City of Los Angeles' wells may result in some well shutdowns. Again, they are independent of the San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District, but they are a member of Metropolitan. Historically the City of Los Angeles has not used much Metropolitan Water, but now with reduction in their "traditional" supplies, the City will be looking for Metropolitan to make up the difference. It will have to come from the State Water Project -- the San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District's sole source of imported water.

During my 10 years on the Board, I have used by experience and knowledge to develop solutions to problems facing the District and the City of Monterey Park.