ITEM 8: PRESENTATION BY "CALIFORNIA URBAN WATER AGENCIES" REGARDING WATER QUALITY ISSUES OF CONCERN

DISCUSSION: The California Urban Water Agencies (CUWA) is an organization representing the State's twelve largest municipal water providers. In a letter to the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) dated January 6, 1998, CUWA expressed concern about several issues related to quality of source waters, particularly in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and its tributaries. These issues include the presence of contaminants such as total dissolved solids (TDS), chloride, bromide, organic carbon, disinfection by-products, and pathogens. CUWA expressed particular concern that without preventive measures, concentrations of TDS, chloride, and bromide would rise further in Delta waters, resulting in substantial costs of treatment and loss of potential uses of water.

CUWA expressed several specific concerns: (1) that higher levels of bromide could result in increased formation of the disinfection by-product, bromate (a suspected carcinogen) in drinking water supplies; (2) that increased TDS would have an adverse impact on water recycling and ground water storage; (3) that high levels of organic carbon raises the cost of drinking water treatment; (4) that increased formation of trihalomethanes from disinfection processes would pose a health risk; and (5) that the presence of pathogens, particularly Cryptosporidium and Giardia in Delta source waters may constitute a health hazard and may result in increased treatment costs.

CUWA requested the opportunity to brief the SWRCB on these issues and has accepted the invitation to do so at this Workshop Session.

POLICY ISSUE: This is an information item only.

FISCAL IMPACT: None.

RWQCB IMPACT: None