Time to get with desalination program

Chris Hammond

It’s time to get on the bus, paddle out, drop in, dive in --

whichever phrase works for you -- on the desalination project. Water

has been and will be a concern for us living in this converted desert

we call Southern California. Our population continues to grow not

only here but in the states that the Colorado River actually runs

through. We will have our supply from the Colorado River cut -- the

only questions are when and by how much.

There are very successful desalination plants being used around

the globe and some that have had problems. We can’t just bury our

heads in the sand for fear that we may be hurt. This is much too

pressing of an issue for our community as a whole and individually --

for our families and our children’s families.

The naysayers point to problems of a plant in Florida, or point to

the troubles with the city’s sports complex. The point is that

mistakes are made, and we can stop or learn from them to produce a

better outcome. Stopping generally gets you nowhere!

The environmental impact is negligible; the revenues for the

county and city are promising. This would be a local project with

local controls. This is a win-win for the city of Huntington Beach.

So let’s do the research and be prudent but definitely move on and do

the responsible thing for the generations to come.

* CHRIS HAMMOND is a Huntington Beach resident. To contribute to

“Sounding Off” e-mail us at hbindependent@ latimes.com or fax us at

(714) 966-4667.