SAN CLEMENTE : Golf Course Water Held Up for 2 Weeks

Although a state board has cleared the way for use of partially treated waste water in the city, local officials say it will be about two more weeks before it will flow.

State officials, who are concerned about seepage of the waste water into a neighboring water basin used by the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton, are requiring the city to come up with a plan to prevent the drainage.

Although a target date of July 27 has now been delayed, city officials said the requirement would not be an obstacle.

The waste water will be piped to the Pacific Golf Course in east San Clemente to water the private golf club’s playing greens. City water officials estimate that the switch from fresh water will save about 600,000 gallons daily.

Last week, the State Water Resources Control Board in Sacramento agreed with the city’s position that the main water table beneath the golf course is too tainted with minerals to be harmed by the infusion of the partially treated waste water.

But state officials said that about 40% of the golf course is over the San Mateo Creek Basin, a water source being tapped by the Pendleton Marines.

The city must show a regional water agency how seepage of the waste water into the San Mateo Creek Basin can be avoided, according to John Ladd, program manager for the State Water Resources Control Board.

“We are concerned about the impacts on that basin,” he said. San Clemente “must receive approval from the regional staff, showing how they will mitigate seepage” before the partially treated water can be used.

Art Coe, executive director for the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, said that Camp Pendleton officials must also approve the city’s mitigation plans.

And the importance of the San Mateo water basin took on new significance last week when area water agencies announced plans to test the basin for use as a 300-million-gallon underground reservoir.

The reservoir would be used by the Tri-Cities Water District, which serves San Clemente, Capistrano Beach and parts of Dana Point. Water officials hope to begin testing the San Mateo basin in about two weeks.

The reclaimed water has been piped since June to the site of the proposed 5,000-home Talega Valley project along the border of east San Clemente, which is under construction.