VIC LEIPZIG AND LOU MURRAY -- THE NATURAL PERSPECTIVE

A recent article in one of the local newspapers prematurely reported the

demise of a major environmental project here in Orange County.

The Orange County Water District and the Orange County Sanitation

District had jointly developed a bold plan to recycle sewage back into

ground water. The project, known as the Groundwater Replenishment System,

would ultra-purify the water from sewage, then pump it underground for

further natural purification.

The plan would have the twin benefits of extending our limited water

supplies and, at the same time, minimizing the discharge of sewage into

the ocean. Virtually everybody supports the idea: the Sierra Club, the

Surfrider Foundation, chambers of commerce and municipal water agencies,

even the League of Women Voters. With this kind of political support,

what could possibly stop the project? The answer, not surprisingly, is

the price tag.

The original rough estimate of the cost of the plan cited a figure of

$350 million to $400 million, said Michelle Tuchman of the Orange County

Sanitation District. A recent, more detailed analysis puts the cost at

$550 million to $600 million. Some people evidently see this as a death

knell for the project.

But is this really too much to pay for water? Right now, you and I pay

about $450 for each acre-foot of water we import from outside the county.

The original estimate for the Groundwater Replenishment System indicated

a cost of about $400 per acre-foot. The revised estimate now puts that

cost at about $500 per acre-foot. The new estimate is a price higher

than, rather than below, the current price of imported water. On its

face, the new project looks more expensive than doing things the way we

have been doing them.

The future holds two critical questions, however. One is: How high will

the price of imported water become? And more important: Will there be any

additional imported water available to us at any price?

The vagaries of state and federal politics, as well as the unpredictable

flow of water in the Colorado River, mean at some point in the future we

might not even receive the amount of imported water we get now, let alone

more. California has been receiving more than its allocation of Colorado

River water for the past few years, and significant cut backs in that

flow are expected in the future.

Those who have lived through California’s recurrent episodes of drought

know very well that there are times when water is simply not for sale at

any price.

An important component of the Orange County Water District’s plan for the

next 20 years is water conservation. There is just no way that Orange

County’s water consumption can possibly grow as it has in the past. We

don’t have the water here locally, and nobody is going to sell us that

much. We are going to have to minimize our consumption and make the most

of our own supplies.

Here in north Orange County, we draw water from underground. Some people

have the impression that this is a limitless supply of water and that we

can and should use more of it. Unfortunately, years of over-drafting have

lowered the water table drastically, especially in coastal Orange County.

One problem that results is saltwater intrusion from the ocean. As a

consequence, we have to remove ground water at a strictly limited rate or

else risk permanent damage to the underground water resource.

To make up the difference between the amount of water we have and the

amount that we would like, we have been forced to turn to supplies other

than ground water. Imported water has done the trick so far.

Recycling is clearly a better concept. Right now, it might look a little

more expensive than imported water. But reducing our dependence on water

from outside Orange County is a goal worth paying for. No matter how

cheap imported water is today, it is foolish of us to assume its supply

will be high and its price will be low.

Is ground-water replenishment really dead? We hope not. The agencies

remain enthusiastic, and the public should also. Fortunately, the

decision on the project doesn’t have to be made immediately. The agencies

are engaged in a long-term analysis of the economics of the project and

won’t make a decision until January. By then, we’ll know a lot more about

the price tag for a water recycling system and water independence for

Orange County.* VIC LEIPZIG and LOU MURRAY are Huntington Beach residents

and environmentalists. They can be reached at o7 [email protected] .