Federal Aid Will Help City Clean Water Wells

Federal officials said Thursday that the city will receive $1 million in antipollution funds to help launch the cleanup of seven municipal water wells contaminated by the gasoline additive MTBE.

City leaders said they will use the money to pay administrative costs for overseeing the removal of the contaminate--which is used to fight smog by making gasoline burn cleaner.

Santa Monica has been forced to begin buying about 80% of its drinking water because turpentine-smelling methyl tertiary butyl ether has seeped into underground water supplies east of the city.

Last month, the city filed a $200-million lawsuit against nine major oil companies it suspects are responsible for storage-tank leaks that have caused the contamination.

Kate Vernez, an assistant to Santa Monica’s city manager who oversees government relations, said the city is pleased with the federal action. “But we hope they’re in it for the long haul, not just for one year,” Vernez said.

Along with the $200-million price tag, city officials have warned it will take years to sanitize the seven water wells, part of the city’s Charnock Well Field near the San Diego Freeway.