Swimming in Murky Waters : Why cost-conscious Mayor Riordan should leave Hyperion project alone

Mayor Richard Riordan’s suggestion that Los Angeles re-examine its commitment to advanced treatment of ocean-bound sewage is unwise. The road to improved sewage treatment at the city’s Hyperion plant in Playa del Rey has been long and turbulent, but the region’s economic health--not to mention the health of coastal waters--is linked to continued progress.

Los Angeles for years has been out of compliance with provisions of the federal Clean Water Act specifying full secondary treatment for municipal sewage. (Secondary treatment uses microorganisms to eliminate practically all solids that remain after so-called primary treatment.) Under a 1987 consent decree, the city agreed to upgrade Hyperion’s capacity and facilities for secondary treatment, currently applied to about half the outflow. Voter approval of 1987, 1988 and 1992 bond measures for the expansion is indicative of the public’s support. The facilities financed by these bonds will come on line within a month, and ocean waters will be cleaner as a result.

Riordan suggests that this outflow might be clean enough for practical purposes and wonders whether there is truly a need for the additional equipment required to comply fully. Sewer service fees--which finance the bonds and the facilities needed to complete the project--are higher here than in other cities, his staff says. The mayor fears that the Hyperion upgrade will put Los Angeles at a competitive disadvantage in terms of cost to businesses.

Riordan’s suggestions drew quick and deserved criticism from City Council members and U.S. Rep. Jane Harman (D-Rolling Hills), in whose district Hyperion sits, as well as environmentalists. The legal steps to undo the consent decree are formidable, and given that the upgrade is nearly completed, why back away now?

Tourism losses caused by the poor state of the Santa Monica Bay in recent years have hurt the regional economy at least as much as the city’s sewer service fees have. The frequent official health warnings and beach closings in Los Angeles and Orange counties have cost plenty, too. The mayor can best help the local economy by leaving Hyperion alone.