WHENCE AND HENCE: The pie chart above...

WHENCE AND HENCE: The pie chart above shows where that dirty stuff that flows in pipes beneath the streets comes from. Where it goes and what happens to it along the way is detailed in a Valley Briefing (B4). . . . As it turns out, treated waste water does some good things--such as make it possible to sail in the Sepulveda Basin--and more uses for it are being studied.

THE LONG RIDE: When six youths rolled out of Lancaster on bicycles for Washington, D.C., a couple months ago they intended to raise money for foster homes and meet President Clinton. But they hadn’t counted on the annual August exodus from the swamp along the Potomac. Despite their disappointment at riding 3,000 miles and finding no one home, they are looking on the bright side. . . . Along the way they experienced Midwest lightning storms, floods of Biblical proportion, and gestures of heartland hospitality (B9).

LOCKUP LOCKED: Silence hangs heavy over the Mira Loma Jail in Lancaster, shut down Saturday to save the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department $15 million annually. . . . Now, the guards’ job is to ward off vandals and check for cracking pipes rather than prevent prisoners from escaping (B1).

MONEY CRUNCH: The county’s shrunken budget will certainly be one of the biggest headaches facing new county Chief Administrative Officer Sally Reed when she takes over in October. But a Santa Clara County colleague says she’ll be prepared. “She can squeeze a nickel so tight that the Indian will jump up on the buffalo,” says Sheriff Charles Gillingham (B1).

A DRY RUN: In their first season as members of the California League, the Class-A Riverside Pilots are battling for first place but are averaging only 1,004 fans per game (C1). . . . One of the major problems is the lack of a license to sell beer, and there are rumors that unless that changes, the team will move next season to a new facility in Moreno Valley.

Waste Water Origin

Sources of waste water in Los Angeles: Domestic: 60% Commercial: 20% Industrial: 10% Institutional: 10% Source: Donald C. Tiltman Water Reclamation Plant