Contamination Near Airport Discounted : Grand Jury Calls for New Water Source

In a pair of reports, the Orange County Grand Jury on Tuesday urged county supervisors to find new sources of freshwater and concluded that no major contamination of ground water near John Wayne Airport exists.

Referring to the county’s reliance for 70% of its freshwater supply from sources outside Southern California, the 1988-89 grand jury said that “Orange County is critically dependent on imported water” and that “additional dependable supplies of imported water will be needed to satisfy increased demand forecast for Southern California in general, and Orange County in particular.

“At this time, the sources of this increased water supply are uncertain.”

The panel found that the county currently reclaims 6.6% of its water, second among California counties to Los Angeles County’s 12.8%.

In the second report, grand jurors studied the discovery of ground-water contamination at the airport. Grand jurors concluded that there is “no evidence at this time that the airport has caused contamination of the deeper drinking water aquifer.”

Acting under an order from the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, airport officials are planning to study the extent of the contamination and migration of toxics in the water table closest to the surface.

Airport officials believe that the contamination came from a leaky tank at the former site of Mission Beechcraft and possibly some minor fuel spills, but more tests will be conducted. If a cleanup effort is needed, officials said, they will bill the former leaseholders believed to be responsible.