Reiner View of Chloramine Hit as ‘Unfounded’

Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner’s complaints about possible health dangers from chloramine, recently reintroduced into Southern California drinking water, are “unfounded and regrettable,” California’s health director said Friday.

Dr. Kenneth W. Kizer said that he only reauthorized the use of chloramine for drinking water disinfection last week after “careful consideration of the scientific evidence” and studying the experiences of major cities across the country. He said it was irresponsible of Reiner to raise “needless worries among the public.”

Reiner said last Tuesday that the Metropolitan Water District’s claim that chloramine is safe “is not justified by current scientific literature.” Reiner questioned the long-term health effects of the chemical as well as its short-term effects on infants, adults with low stomach acids and people taking prescription drugs.

At that time, the MWD’s water quality manager, Michael McGuire, termed “simplistic” and “misdirected” Reiner’s suggestions that the water district consider reverting to chlorine and using charcoal filtration.

Benefits ‘Outweigh’ Risks

But Kizer insisted Friday that the benefits of using chloramine “far outweigh any of the theoretical risks raised by Mr. Reiner.”

“The California Department of Health Services’ position is that chloramines are safe and effective as a disinfectant for public water systems,” Kizer said. “And their use protects consumers from many infectious diseases.”

Chloramine poses no health problems for the general population, Kizer said. He pointed out that when it became apparent last December that people undergoing kidney dialysis are susceptible to ill effects from chloramine, he suspended its use until the department developed standards for removing the chemical from water used for dialysis.

After inspection of kidney dialysis centers throughout the state, Kizer said, the department was satisfied that all licensed centers were able to filter out chloramine.

Reiner Unavailable

“Consequently,” he said, “on May 31, 1985, I reauthorized the use of chloramines in California’s public water system.”

Reiner was at the Lakers-Celtics playoff basketball game Friday evening and unavailble for comment. But his spokesman, Schyler Sprowles, defended the district attorney’s right to comment on chloramine safety.

He said that Reiner “has a responsibility in the area of environmental concerns. He made that very clear a number of years ago before taking office that he would not hesitate to speak out in areas affecting public health.”

Sprowles said that Reiner “has never been elected to keep his opinions to himself, and I think that’s what the public expects of him.”