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Friday, July 28, 2006 Quote of the Day: "Always be nice to those younger than you, because they are the ones who will be writing about you." Cyril Connolly Born on this Day: Joe E. Brown, Rudy Vallee, Richard Rogers, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Darryl Hickman, Mike Bloomfield, Jim Davis, Linda Kelsey, Sally Struthers, Georgia Bright Engel, Terry Fox, and Lori Loughlin. On this Day in 1866: The metric system was legalized by the U.S. Congress for the standardization of weights and measures throughout the United States. Sent to more than 25,000 readers nationwide... and thousands more via our lineup of online ads like the one above that appears on watertechonline.com Latest postings: Helix Water District: Plant Operator Trainee City of Huntington Beach: Water Dist. Supervisor EMWD: Environmental Compliance Analyst II MWD of So. Cal.: Operator I MWD of So. Cal.: Maintenance Mechanic I MWD of So. Cal.: Maintenance Mechanic I Marina Coast Water District: Cap. Projects Manager Want more? See all postings. Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park Brooks Anderson painting of Hetch Hetchy Valley Looking Up Hetch-Hetchy Valley from Surprise Point (1908 Photo by Isaiah West Taber) "Hetch Hetchy Valley is a grand landscape garden, one of Nature's rarest and most precious mountain temples." John Muir See the writings of John Muir Restore Hetch Hetchy Home Page SFPUC Hetch Hetchy Home Page Do you have a photo you'd like to submit? Send us an e-mail.   Today's News —  Water Supply SDCWA deep-sixes seawater desalination plan (NC Times, 7/28) "In an abrupt move Thursday, San Diego County's regional water supplier deep-sixed its dreams of turning seawater off Carlsbad's coast into drinking water, refusing to certify its own $1.8 million environmental study, and choosing to end five years of haggling with the private company studying the idea." County drops desalination for Carlsbad (San Diego Union Tribune, 7/28) "The San Diego County Water Authority yesterday abandoned its four-year effort to build a desalination plant in Carlsbad that would have converted seawater into drinking water."  Encina plant causes ripple in desalination plan (NC Times, 7/27) "The company that has dreamed of building a plant at Carlsbad's Encina power plant to turn seawater into drinking water said Wednesday that news that parts of Encina could be torn down won't affect or change their plans." Divisive San Diego water proposal advances (San Diego Union-Tribune, 7/27) "A proposal to turn wastewater into drinking water drew both support and questions yesterday from members of a San Diego City Council committee. " Water issues stymie housing in Colusa (Marysville Appeal-Democrat, 7/27) "Chronic water supply problems have prompted Colusa County to rein in construction at a remote community outside Stonyford." Here's a primer on water, power supplies (San Diego Union-Tribune, 7/27) COLUMN: "During this run of Luciferian weather, perhaps it's fitting that public attention, always seasonal, has been riveted on the two sources of survival in a coastal semidesert." —  Water Quality Study shows contaminant can cause cancer (Associated Press, 7/28) "Growing scientific evidence suggests the most widespread industrial contaminant in drinking water -- a solvent used in adhesives, paint and spot removers -- can cause cancer in people." Study: Cancer risk from industrial chemical rises (LA Times, 7/27) "After a detailed study of the most widespread industrial contaminant in U.S. drinking water, the National Research Council will report today that evidence is growing stronger that the chemical causes cancer and other human health problems." EPA releases Total Coliform Rule guidebook (WaterTech Online, 7/27) "The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is promoting a new handbook to help owners and operators of small drinking water systems better understand the Total Coliform Rule under the Safe Drinking Water Act, according to a Water Quality Association (WQA) July 27 press release."  DBP expert urges testing for additional HAAs (WaterWeek, 7/27) "A top scientist in the field of disinfection by-products (DBPs) termed USEPA's continued regulation of only five of nine key haloacetic acids (HAA) 'a misrepresentation of public exposure to this class of DBPs' and urged utilities to measure all nine regardless." —  Infrastructure Support for public-works bond package weakens (San Diego Union Tribune, 7/28) "Support for a record $37.3 billion public-works bond package placed on the Nov. 7 ballot by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature is slipping as Republicans switch to opposition, according to a new Field Poll."  Poll: Infrastructure bonds find general approval (San Francisco Chronicle, 7/28) "Four out of five infrastructure bond measures that will be on the statewide November ballot are enjoying voter support, but not by much, according to a Field Poll that will be released today." —  Levees Report: Levees getting worse (Contra Costa Times, 7/28) "January storms damaged levees in the Sacramento Valley and northern Delta so badly that they are highly vulnerable to failure in 81 places as early as the next rainy season, according to a report by the Army Corps of Engineers." State to ensure that levees will be fixed (DWR, 7/28) NEWS RELEASE. "The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today reconfirmed the state’s commitment to repair critical levees and keep Californians safe as new levee erosion sites were identified. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) announced that 300 Sacramento River flood control system levee sites have been evaluated following this year’s winter storms and 81 of those locations are considered severely damaged."   Faith in levees officially downgraded (Sacramento Bee, 7/27) "In a move expected since March, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has formally withdrawn a determination that many of the levees protecting the Natomas area meet minimal 100-year flood standards." Ad blasts canceled levee fee proposal (Stockton Record, 7/27) "Local farmer Dean Cortopossi, an influential donor to Republican causes, put a full-page advertisement in The Record today lambasting what he said is the state's attempt to slap levee-improvement fees on Delta landowners." —  Rivers RiverWatch gears up for landfill battle (NC Times, 7/28) "About 20 people met in a clubhouse just a few hundred feet from the San Luis Rey River on Thursday night to plan the next step in their quest to protect that river, now a trickle in the July heat." —  Wastewater Passions run high at Los Osos sewer plan vote (SLO Tribune, 7/28) "In a meeting that lasted until late Thursday night, Los Osos services district officials heard hours of passionate public comment before deciding whether to support legislation that would give the county control of the community’s sewer project." Tahoe sewage spillers must reach compromise (Reno Gazette Journal, 7/27) "The parties responsible for a major sewage spill at Lake Tahoe last summer will have until October to reach a compromise with authorities, California water quality officials decided Wednesday."  —  Toxic Cleanups U.S. EPA settles with Los Angeles plating firm (EPA, 7/27) NEWS RELEASE. "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing a $43,000 settlement with Excello Plating, Inc. and the firm’s president, Glen Harleman, for investigation costs surrounding alleged hazardous substance releases from the Los Angeles facility." Cleanup of Empire Mine planned (Grass Valley Union, 7/27) "Empire Mine State Historic Park unveiled a major plan Wednesday to clean up the mine’s toxic waste legacy." —  Meetings 16th annual California Water Policy Conference (California Water Policy, 7/27) Nov. 16-17. "The 16th annual California Water Policy Conference entitled, 'Beating the Odds: Getting From Plan to Action', will be held November 16 & 17, 2006 at the Wilshire Grand Hotel in Los Angeles. The planning committee is actively seeking award nominees and scholarship applicants for this event.  This year the planning committee seeks to recognize individuals, public and nonprofit agencies and companies that have overcome significant opposition to implement a project or program through a collaborative method. Deadline for nominations is Friday, September 15." —  Global Warming Climate change behind summer heat waves? (Reuters, 7/28) "As large parts of Europe and North America once again bake in an exceptionally hot summer, many people are asking what has now become a perennial question: 'Is this global warming?'"  Scientists say warming triggers 'dead zone' (Associated Press, 7/27) Thanks to Mark Moss for this one: "Bottom fish and crabs washing up dead on Oregon beaches are being killed by a recurring 'dead zone' of low-oxygen water that appears to be triggered by global warming, scientists say." 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. 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 us 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 92702 714-689-4852