Water on the brain
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Mike Churchin
Uncanny? Strategic? Which term should we use to describe the pairing
of front-page articles for the Jan. 13 Independent? The Poseidon
article presents yet another developer (and a second attempt)
promising grand returns to our city if we just let them build this
wee little desalination plant behind the AES power plant. The Orange
County Water District article offers the “tough sell” of making
lemonade out of lemons by reverse osmosis conversion of sewage water
to drinking water.
Of all the “facts” in the articles only one is certain. We need to
decrease our reliance on imported water. The options are few. The way
I see it, our near shore waters are already unpredictably influenced
by sewage impact. Who can say pulling water out of our near shore
intake for the AES plant will be completely free of contamination?
Why bother with managing a sodium load on top of thorough treatment
for contaminants with both sources? Why not eliminate the middleman
(I agree with Councilwoman Debbie Cook) and put the infrastructure
where it is an environmental assist rather than possible detractor?
The outfall for discard of treated waste is much farther offshore
than the AES outfall and has a very well studied distribution and
behavior. We know sewage infrastructure will grow with requisite
increases in (after treatment) fresh water supplies. It just makes
good systems sense to combine the infrastructures of sewage treatment
and potable water generation to minimize their impact on our city.
A fact not mentioned in either article: Once you place
infrastructure to generate fresh water the only thing it will do
predictably is grow. We are a thirsty people and population/density
growth is assured in our little slice of Orange heaven.
Allow me to offer some moderately informed predictions:
* The Huntington Beach Planning Department is well ahead of the
curve in working with the developer to “sell” the project to our
city.
* The public relations effort will be well financed and supported
by those that feel “we need the economic infrastructure” -- oops,
already true.
* The private business establishment will outshine the public
agencies that should be doing this job -- because they haven’t the
funds to sell “door to door” with good PR firms.
* We’ll be told that this is a great opportunity for private
industry to solve a critical problem.
* Scott Baugh and his little-big business-lobbying machine will
engage like pigs hunting truffles.
* Years from now the site will have grown beyond current
imagination to fill fresh water needs for nearly everyone else
besides Huntington Beach.
* The argument to clean up the Ascon-Nesi contamination will
diminish, as the area is looking more akin to an industrial center
than a residential neighborhood.
* Poseidon, its shareholders and others financially conjoined will
have walked away with a great deal of money since they “shopped” the
coast to find the cities in the weakest state to create the best
return for Poseidon.
* This city will net close to zero on the deal in the long run as
the measly portion of return presented today will have long
disappeared secondary to change in ownership, inflation and the
demand for cheaper water from the rest of the county.
* Huntington Beach will feel slighted as we once again gave away
important and unique coastal/industrial infrastructure that
negatively affected existing residential, environmental and local
economic concerns/opportunities.
According to Poseidon officials, the water sharing/purchasing plan
is being discussed “quietly, but not officially”. A true value to the
community wouldn’t need the veil of secrecy, the expensive PR or the
political maneuvering we’re sure to see.
I’ve offered much criticism and presented what I believe to be
viable solutions. I’ll end with a bit of un-solicited strategic
advice. Remember how insulated the Los Angeles Department of Water
and Power was from the energy crisis because they controlled
generation infrastructure? Huntington Beach and Orange County should
consider such strategy to place us head and shoulders above the
coming crisis of community water resources. If we can do it while
decreasing sewage outfall volume ... all the better.
MIKE CHURCHIN is a Huntington Beach resident. To contribute to
“Sounding Off” e-mail us at [email protected] or fax us at (714)
966-4667.
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