$275-Million Water Cleanup Is Planned

Los Angeles has plenty of clean water to meet its needs, but about 130 trillion gallons under the San Fernando Valley remain contaminated with toxic chemicals, requiring a $275-million cleanup program over the next 20 to 40 years, the city Department of Water and Power reported Wednesday.

DWP officials presented the review to a City Council panel in response to concerns about a UCLA report last year.

Industrial solvents used by manufacturing firms during the last 40 years have contaminated about half of the water in underground aquifers. The city relies on ground water for about 16% of its water needs, although more may be used this year because of low levels of snow in the Sierra.

Three areas of the basin were designated Superfund sites in 1987 by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, which is billing polluters for part of the cleanup costs. In addition, the cities of Los Angeles and Burbank have built four treatment plants that are purifying large amounts of water, said Richard Nagel, a DWP spokesman,

“There is more than adequate water that is clean water,” Nagel said.

Councilman Mike Feuer said he wants the council’s Environmental Quality Committee to hold another hearing to discuss possible funding sources to meet the cleanup needs during the next two decades.