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L.A. may flush old fears of toilet to tap, but Angelenos slow to swallow purified sewage

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on June 22, 2008 at 9:51 pm

From the Los Angeles Daily News:

Eight years after Los Angeles leaders killed a multimillion-dollar water-recycling project amid vitriolic debate over politics and safety, the dubiously dubbed “toilet to tap” plan is back.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has made recycled water the centerpiece of his 20-year water plan, and now the one-time critic has become the leading proponent for purifying sewage and wastewater and returning it to the drinking-water supply. But as Villaraigosa and the Department of Water and Power prepare to pitch the next generation of recycled water, the question remains whether political, scientific - and perhaps more importantly, public - opinions have changed over the last eight years.

DWP General Manager H. David Nahai believes they have: The science on recycled water is better, the area’s water shortage is more severe, the public is more environmentally aware, and the DWP now is more savvy about public relations. “We’ve learned the lessons of the past, especially as far as communication goes,” Nahai said. “We’re putting ourselves in a position to roll out this program very publicly so that nobody feels that anything has been hidden or that there is anything to be suspicious or fearful about.”

Observers of politics and water issues agree that the climate is very different in 2008 from what it was years ago, when the proposal drew a passionate - and decidedly negative - outcry.

California is in the middle of a drought, and global warming is expected to lighten the Sierra snowpack that holds much of the state’s water supply. Meanwhile, court decisions have limited how much water can be imported to Southern California, even as the population keeps growing.

“Times have radically changed,” said Steve Erie, professor of political science at the University of California, San Diego, and author of “Beyond Chinatown,” which chronicles the history of Southern California’s water supply. Not only do you have the specter of drought, but if the governor declares a water emergency, we’re talking about rationing imposed statewide.

“What was an option 10 years ago is increasingly becoming a necessity. We don’t have the luxury anymore of ignoring the `yuck factor’ of recycled water.”

Read the full text of this extensive article from the Los Angeles Daily News by clicking here.

In a related story also from the Daily News, Angelenos express their concerns:

Most people interviewed recently wrinkled their noses and shook their heads at the mention of mixing purified toilet water into drinking water - even if the process provides safe and tasty water. Many people said they won’t even drink tap water now because they consider it unsafe or of poor quality, so drinking recycled water is out of the question.

“It sounds crazy,” said Arleta resident Glory Loza. “Even the water we have now isn’t safe. Imagine drinking toilet water!” Loza said she drinks bottled water. Like most others walking at Hansen Dam on a recent morning, she had a fresh bottle of brand-name water tucked under her arm.

Similarly, Panorama City resident Mayra Torres isn’t convinced by assurances that the water would be clean. “I wouldn’t drink it. Even though they would clean it, it just doesn’t sound safe.”

More on this story from the Los Angeles Daily News by clicking here.

June 22, 2008 · Filed Under Recycled Water

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