MAYOR’S COLUMN

John J. Collins

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the final installment of a three-part series

on the water issue facing local communities.

Some communities are scratching their heads about what to do when the

demand for water increases and the supply of water decreases, but some

folks at the Orange County Water District and Orange County Sanitation

District have already come up with a solution -- the Groundwater

Replenishment System.

The system will take highly treated waste water currently being

discharged into the ocean, purify it in an advanced-treatment plant, and

then allow it to percolate into the ground water basin. The water would

be treated using state-of-the-art technology -- microfiltration, reverse

osmosis and ultraviolet purification -- to produce high-quality

supplemental water that meets or surpasses all drinking water standards.

Microfiltration is a low-pressure-driven process that effectively takes

suspended particles out of the water and prepares it for reverse osmosis.

With reverse osmosis, water under high pressure is directed through a

thin membrane that essentially allows only water molecules to pass

through, eliminating salts, viruses and pesticides. This is the process

used by many food, pharmaceutical and bottled-water companies. A final

purification process of ultraviolet disinfection acts like concentrated

sunlight and provides an additional barrier to impurities and ensures

that safe, high-quality water is produced.

If approved, the advanced-treatment facilities will be located at

current water and sanitation district facilities in Fountain Valley.

Water would be pumped along the Santa Ana River through a 13-mile

pipeline to existing percolation ponds in Anaheim. There, the water would

percolate into the ground-water basin, further purifying the water.

The project would be built in phases. Phase I, to be completed in 2003,

would build treatment facilities to produce 50,000 acre-feet of water per

year. Phase I also includes construction of the 13-mile pipeline.

Phase II, to be completed by 2010, will expand the treatment facilities

to produce 75,000 acre-feet per year.

The final phase would be in operation by 2020, resulting in total

treatment capability of 100,000 acre-feet per year. That is enough water

for 200,000 Orange County families.

The Groundwater Replenishment System would produce safe, high-quality

water. Scientific studies indicate this type of purification is safe,

near distilled-quality water, and the highest quality water Orange County

can obtain from any source. Constant, daily quality control will be built

into this advanced technology system.

As the 1990s draw to a close, the search for a new, safe and reliable

source of water has become a top priority for Orange County. This issue

is of such importance that in 1995 the Orange County Grand Jury issued a

report titled “Wider Use of Orange County Reclaimed Water,” endorsing the

search for new uses for reclaimed water. The report specifically urged

water agencies to proceed with this proposed system.

The cost of the proposed Groundwater Replenishment System is estimated

at between $350 million and $400 million over 20 years. This system is

expected to produce reliable, high-quality water at a cost equal to or

less than future purchased water. Funding sources would include the U.S.

Bureau of Reclamation, plus state grants and local funding from the two

districts.

The Groundwater Replenishment System has many benefits:

*Provides 100,000 acre-feet of new water per year;

*Reduces our dependence on purchased water;

*Helps drought-proof Orange County;

*Improves ground water quality;

*Protects ground water from seawater intrusion;

*Reduces discharge to the ocean;

*Costs equal to or less than future imported water;

*Is 40% more energy efficient than purchased water;

*Provides additional water for landscaping and industrial uses; and

*is environmentally friendly.

The Boy Scout whose question prompted me to discuss the future water

supply had the solution in the Boy Scout motto: “Be Prepared.” The

Groundwater Replenishment System will prepare us for the 21st century.

JOHN J. COLLINS is the mayor of Fountain Valley.