Pico Rivera : Council Joins Effort to Stop Spread of Water Pollution
The Pico Rivera City Council has endorsed a resolution authorizing its staff to study potential solutions to ground water contamination that threatens local water supplies. The action parallels similar moves by nearby cities, such as Lakewood, to stave off the spread of ground water contamination that has polluted 20 wells to the north in the San Gabriel Valley.
The resolution directs city staff members to participate with local agencies in exploring options such as water quality monitoring, a ground water protection program and well-water pollution treatment. The resolution could also become the basis for regional cooperation, City Manager Dennis Courtemarche said at the Monday night council meeting.
Councilman Jim Patronite agreed that the effort is timely. “We need to encourage other cities to participate in the effort,” he said.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency found polluted ground water in the San Gabriel Valley Water Basin in 1979. Although the agency has recognized the contamination as a major environmental hazard, the federal government has yet to fund any cleanup efforts. An EPA strategy report is due to be completed this summer.
Pico Rivera’s water supply comes entirely from ground water wells located to the south of the polluted wells.
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