Cheaper Way to Make Water Fit to Drink

Much has been written in the newspapers about the contamination of the San Gabriel ground water basin and the Environmental Protection Agency’s “cleanup” plan, which is estimated to cost $800 million to clean up the basin. Also, many individuals and groups are calling on the Legislature to create more governmental bureaucracies to run the EPA’s mammoth cleanup effort.

Unfortunately, not enough attention is being paid to the basin water suppliers and other water experts, who are saying that the cost to effectively deal with the contamination can be far, far less than the $800 million and can be accomplished without new boards or agencies.

For one thing, water suppliers already deal with contaminated water supply sources. For example, water suppliers remove contaminants from water taken from such sources as the Mississippi or Colorado rivers before the water is delivered to their customers. They don’t try to make the entire river fit to drink, only the water delivered to the public. Yet, that is exactly what the $800-million EPA cleanup plan would have us do--clean up the entire San Gabriel ground water basin.

It makes no more sense to try to clean up the entire ground water basin (which is probably impossible anyway) than it does to clean up the entire Mississippi River or any other contaminated water supply source.

Moreover, the cost for wellhead treatment on all contaminated wells in the San Gabriel basin should be less than $40 million, a fraction of the $800-million proposal.

Does it make sense to spend $800 million when $40 million will do the job? Of course not. Spending more money won’t make the water any cleaner--just more expensive.

R. H. NICHOLSON JR.

Chairman,

San Gabriel Valley Water Co.