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COURIER photo/Tony Krickl
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| Water is being filtered at the F.E. Weymouth Treatment Plant in La Verne, which processes roughly 520 million gallons of water for cities in Los Angeles and Orange counties. It was designed and build by Metropolitan Water District of Southern California in 1940. |
Water, water everywhere . . . then again
Water comes from near and far before it reaches homes in Claremont. About half of it is imported from the state water project in northern California, carried down through a complex system of pipes, pumps, dams and aqueducts.
The other half comes from local rainwater that is captured at the San Antonio spreading grounds and in wells in the Pomona Basin.
Many companies and government agencies work together to keep the water flowing. Metropolitan Water District of Southern California imports the water from the north where it is handed off to Three Valleys Municipal Water District for treatment.
Golden State Water Company then purchases the processed water from Three Valleys and pumps it into Claremont homes. The private company also processes all of the local ground water for Claremont.
But some threats exist that could put the free flow of water at risk to residents of Claremont and the region. Some are natural, some are political, and all have made an impact on how officials are dealing with water.
State legislators are planning ahead for a potential “Katrina-type incident” if an earthquake were to strike near the California delta, said Jeff Kightlinger, General Director of Metropolitan Water District, while speaking recently at the La Verne Country Club. He said there was a 2 in 3 chance that an earthquake would destroy the levee system, disrupting southern California’s water supply for months or years.
In reaction, the state has already begun to stockpile material around the delta that would be needed to rebuild it if disaster struck. State legislators are pushing for a multi-billion-dollar water bond that would rebuild the fragile levee system and reconfigure a water delivery system to southern California. (story continues below)
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COURIER photo/Tony Krickl
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| Water levels are down roughly 25 percent at the Diamond Valley Lake, the largest reservoir in southern California. Over the past year, water flowing from the Colorado River has been curtailed to the reservoir due to the threat of the Quagga mussel. |
But lawmakers are concerned about “bond fatigue” from voters and fighting between key political players that could keep the keep the bond measure off the ballots, said State Assemblyman Anthony Adams, who also attended the meeting.
“Water politics is probably the nastiest politics in the state,” Mr. Adams said.
Another threat to southern California’s water supply comes from a small, endangered fish called the delta smelt. Since many of the fish were being sucked into the Metropolitan Water District’s pumps during migration, a federal judge limited water flows by the pumps, therefore decreasing supplies to southern California.
“It’s a serious problem that cannot be easily fixed,” Mr. Kightlinger said.
A solution that is supported by Metropolitan Water District would circumvent the delta smelt’s waters and bring water south through a peripheral canal.
Another tiny critter affecting the water world in California is the Quagga mussel. Attaching to and clogging up underwater pipes and drains, the Quagga has the ability to wreak havoc on California’s water infrastructure. Water quality is also at risk with the Quagga as the creature is a filter feeder that extracts large amounts of nutrients from the water.
Last year, the Quagga was discovered in lakes along the Colorado River and more recently in California. Since the discovery, researchers have been scrambling to discover ways to slowdown their rapid proliferation before more lakes become infested.
On top of it all, last year was the driest year on record for Los Angeles. Over the past 8 years, there has been a drought along the Colorado River Basin. Despite increased rainfall in 2008, many southern California cities, including Claremont, are looking at measures for enforcing some level of water conservation among residents.
—Tony Krickl
