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August 8, 2003 Quote Of The Day "Laws are like sausages. It's better not to see them being made." Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898) Today is the birthday of Dustin Hoffman, Keith Carradine, David Evans ("The Edge"), JC Chasez, and Drew Lachey. On this day in 1945, the United Nations Charter was signed by U.S. President Truman Don't miss the latest California Infrastructure Brief this morning. Enjoy! Latest postings: City of Lompoc Wastewater Plant Operator II Otay Water District Assistant Civil Engineer Otay Water District Senior Civil Engineer Otay Water District Water Systems Manager Metropolitan Water District Operations & Maintenance Team Manager (TM10) Want more? See all postings. Today's News —  Water Supply News Filling of Olivenhain reservoir begins (SD Union Tribune, 08/07) "Water began flowing yesterday into the first reservoir to be built in the county in nearly 50 years." EMWD program to address region’s growing water demands (EMWD News Release, 08/07) "Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) will continue to keep pace with unprecedented development growth thanks to a comprehensive Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) that calls for more than 100 new infrastructure projects over the next 5 years." Delta pumps at Tracy may be strengthened (Stockton Record, 08/08) "The most powerful forces in California water have crafted a plan to send more Delta water south to Central Valley farms and Southern California cities. It could happen in a year, when water agencies hope to boost the capacity of state and federal pumps near Tracy."  —  Whither Desalination? California Coastal Commission approves pilot desalination plant (SF Chronicle, 08/08) "The state agency in charge of California's coasts has approved the Long Beach Water Department's plan for a pilot desalination plant." Desalination has pitfalls, study finds (LA Times, 08/08) "Using the ocean to help meet California's drinking water needs could lead to destruction of marine life and turn a public resource into a private commodity, according to a California Coastal Commission report released Thursday." Yes, it's part of the joy of editorship to juxtapose two contradictory desalination stories, both courtesy of the California Coastal Commission (Official Motto: "What left hand?"). — Water Bond News $2 billion water bond referendum dividing Colorado politicians (Denver Post, 08/06) "Citing his experience in Colorado's water wars, Attorney General Ken Salazar today came out against a $2 billion water bond referendum going before voters in November, further dividing the state politically on the issue." Do you think he tells people at dinner parties that he's a war veteran? I mean, I tell people I fought in the Clone Wars, but it doesn't get me discount tickets at the movie theatre. Unless I show up before 5:00. —  Privatization Experts weigh private, public water utilities' strengths (Forbes, 08/06) "You don't have to look far to find statistics suggesting the United States' water and sewage systems are in sorry shape. At the homepage of the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water, for example, a report suggests the current pace of spending on drinking-water infrastructure falls $263 billion short of what's needed over the next two decades."  —  MTBE Update Davis urges EPA to reverse ethanol stance (Fresno Bee, 08/07) "Gov. Davis on Wednesday urged the federal Environmental Protection Agency to reverse its requirement that California add ethanol or other pollution-reducing products to its gasoline, citing a court ruling last month." I hear the EPA plans to return his call on October 8. —  Water Quality Arsenic's fatal legacy grows worldwide (New Scientist, 08/07) "The growing trend around the world to drink water from underground sources is causing a global epidemic of arsenic poisoning. Tens of thousands of people have developed skin lesions, cancers and other symptoms, and many have died. Hundreds of millions are now thought to be at serious risk." It's amazing what people will go through to get in on the latest trend. Water users seeing red in Baldwin Park (SGV Tribune, 08/08) Opinion: "While Valley County Water District officials dismiss the problem as "only aesthetic' or temporary, we think it is a serious issue that needs addressing now." Feds agree to perchlorate probe (Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, 08/08) "Sen. Barbara Boxer announced an agreement Thursday in which state officials will work with the Department of Defense to investigate a pollution plume slowly moving toward the Santa Ana River." A boost for toxic cleanup in state (LA Daily News, 08/08) "The Department of Defense agreed Thursday to obey California's drinking water standards for perchlorate and not try to avoid paying for cleanup of the toxic rocket fuel byproduct." Military not exempt from waste cleanup (Palm Springs Desert Sun, 08/08) "A Bush administration official said the Department of Defense won’t ask Congress to excuse the military or its contractors from cleaning a toxic chemical from the Colorado River." Military bows to water rules (Riverside P/E, 08/08) "In an apparent about-face, the U.S. military will abide by stringent California rules in cleaning up pollution that has fouled Inland water supplies, federal officials said Thursday." EPA announces first World Water Monitoring Day (EPA News Release, 08/08) "Officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, America's Clean Water Foundation, and the International Water Association will announce World Water Monitoring Day – Oct. 18, 2003." —  Lakes and Bays Dredging permit agency cutbacks efforts - S.F. Bay could suffer (SF Chronicle, 08/08) "The regional agency that oversees development along San Francisco Bay will lose more than 20 percent of its staff from budget cuts, its director said Thursday." Inspection, registration required for Riverside lake (LA Daily News, 08/08) "Residents hoping to launch boats in soon-to-open Diamond Valley Lake in Riverside County will have to get their watercraft inspected and registered before dipping into the reservoir and nearby Lake Skinner." —  Stormwater News North Solano County flood control lagging, grand jury says (Vacaville Reporter, 08/07) "No Solano County agencies are directly responsible for flood control, according to a county grand jury report issued this week." —  Wastewater, Sewage, and Spills Newport fares well in beach survey (LA Times, 08/08) "County water quality regulators have given Newport Beach high marks in a shoreline survey of beach postings and closures during 2002." Because pollutants are just so tacky. Wastewater agency receives AMSA certification (Water Tech Online, 08/07) "The Association for Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies (AMSA) is pleased to recognize the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD), CA, as the first public wastewater agency in the nation to receive third-party audit certification for its biosolids Environmental Management System (EMS), AMSA announced in a news release." Rainbow district approves backflow testing, sewage plan (NC Times, 08/07) "Customers of the Rainbow Municipal Water District will likely see a new charge on their bills by the end of the year when the district begins a "backflow" device testing and repair program." It will appear on the statement as, "Rust Proofing." Torrey Pines beach warnings posted after sewage spill (NC Times, 08/07) "About 600,000 gallons of sewage spilled from a manhole at Sorrento Valley Road and Sorrento Valley Boulevard after a pump failed at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, San Diego County officials said Wednesday." —  Toxic Cleanups Pomona city yard polluted (Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, 08/08) "The soil at the Pomona Corporation Yard is contaminated with potentially cancer-causing chemicals left over from the processing of coal and oil dating back to 1887, officials said Thursday." Sanitation worker probed in dumpings (LA Daily News, 08/08) "The LAPD is investigating a city sanitation worker who was operating a street sweeper after he allegedly dumped liquid waste from the sweeper near a youth baseball park." —  Local/Agency News DWR releases proposed revenue requirement for 2004 (DWR News Release, 08/06) "The California Department of Water Resources today released its proposed revenue requirement for calendar year 2004. The new revenue requirement is not expected to negatively affect electricity rates for consumers." A WRD whistle-blower (Long Beach Press-Telegram, 08/08) Opinion: "If Norm Ryan's water-board colleagues didn't appreciate it when he blew the whistle on their secrecy-act violations, they ought to thank him now. But don't count on it." Utility tax in works in Colton (San Bernardino Sun, 08/07) "The city might ask residents to approve a utility tax to offset millions of dollars lost to the state's budget bind. The Legislature recently passed a state budget that addresses, in part, a $38 billion deficit."   About the California Water News The California Water News is a weekday e-mail with links to current news stories in the California water resources industry.  Subscription is free to qualified persons!  Please go to our subscription page to subscribe.  For more information, you can also see some frequently asked questions. A frequently ignored questions page has been scrapped due to the inherent contradiction. Referrals to new subscribers are welcome, as are suggestions for new links, news stories, opinion pieces, and your agency's press releases.   Any documents you e-mail me may be published on our web site and linked to from the News, subject to editorial discretion. Ken Harlow Brown and Caldwell 400 Exchange, Suite 100 Irvine, CA 92602 714-689-4852