Meeting on Recycled Water in Bay Delayed

After an impasse developed between the city and the Irvine Ranch Water District over an alternative to releasing recycled waste water into Newport Bay, water district officials were granted a postponement for a much anticipated state permit hearing scheduled for Monday morning.

After three postponements, the regional California Water Quality Control Board was scheduled to meet Monday morning at City Hall to determine whether the district’s project is beneficial to Newport Bay.

Water quality board members will meet May 31 to reschedule the hearing.

The water district has been at odds with Newport Beach residents over a proposal to discharge 5 million gallons of reclaimed water daily into a tributary of the bay during all but summer months.

At a special City Council meeting Thursday night, council members opposed an alternative agreement with the Irvine water district and the Orange County Water District to build a pipeline link that would instead provide treated waste water for irrigation and commercial use during winter months.

Called the Green Acres Project and drafted by the county water district, the project would supplant the Irvine water district’s proposal.

Under the agreement, the Irvine Ranch Water District would agree to build a link to the Green Acres project then sell about 8 million gallons a day of reclaimed water at a reduced rate contingent on whether Newport Beach can find six buyers.

City Council members believed the terms would harm the city if enough buyers could not be found. Council members also disagreed that the city should have to pay for part of the link.

As a consequence, Irvine water district officials moved to delay their appearance before the water quality board to allow more time for an alternative plan to be worked out.