Lawsuit Over Recycled Water

The Miller Brewing Co. has filed a lawsuit to stop a plan by the Upper San Gabriel Valley Mulenicipal Water District to speed up the natural water recycling process and use that water to replenish an underground aquifer in the San Gabriel Valley (Sept. 14). The company’s fears, couched in legal terms, seem more based on public relations perceptions than on fact.

Since the beginning of time, new water molecules have not been created--they are recycled. This occurs naturally through evaporation, precipitation and percolation. Waste-water treatment facilities speed the cycle somewhat, and reclamation facilities take that water to an even higher level of purification. Upper San Gabriel’s plan is simply the continuation of a natural process that has been going on for centuries.

Because of the Earth’s natural water cycle, even “pure, Rocky Mountain spring water” could have been, in an earlier century, Napoleon’s bathwater. And from the time humans first settled along river banks, downstream communities have been drinking the effluent from upstream communities. With proper treatment, all water can be used and reused.

Especially at a time when it is so important that we make the best possible use of all our natural resources, Miller’s concern seems misplaced.

STANLEY E. SPRAGUE

General Manager

Municipal Water District of Orange County

The article on the use of “sewage” as a water source for the Miller Brewing Co. was extremely misleading. Everyone knows that Southern California is a desert. Two-thirds of the region’s water is imported from sources more than 400 miles away. These source are fragile ecosystems that have become degraded because of Southern California’s ever increasing demand for water. Because of the impact on these ecosystems and the endangered species within them, the Southland’s supply of water from these sources is restricted. The region must find new ways to meet the demand of 15 million thirsty residents and reclaimed water is the cheapest, most reliable new source of water here.

Using recycled water to the maximum extent practicable is one giant step in the right direction. Unfortunately, there are interests that would like to stop innovative projects for their own self-serving purposes. This is exactly what the Miller Brewing Co. has done. It has made statements that have no scientific background and it is playing on the fears of a largely uninformed public. If the public believes Miller’s rhetoric, then the ramifications for water reuse in the region could impact water reuse projects across the entire state. The quality of recycled water that is used for ground water recharge exceeds most drinking water standards. Let’s stop worrying about nonexistent health risks and start protecting the West’s natural resources by supporting water reuse in California.

MARK GOLD

Executive Director

ROGER GORKE

Science and Policy Analyst

Heal the Bay