JPA SUPPORTS SAN DIEGO WATER RE-USE STUDY

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 1--Several Metro Wastewater JPA Commissioners today expressed their support for the City of San Diego's Water Re-Use Study. This came on the heels of a lawsuit reported last week by a citizens group contending that the City of San Diego was conducting a "stealth study" of the feasibility of using treated, purified wastewater to augment reservoir supplies.

At the request of the JPA, two of its Commissioners participated in San Diego's three-day study conducted earlier this year. At the JPA's December meeting today, they they expressed surprise and dismay at the lawsuit, saying that the recycled water study has been fully open and above board. Commissioners voted to place on the January agenda a resolution to send a letter of support to the city's Water Department and to urge member agencies to send their own letters of endorsement.

Local media routinely overlook the fact that San Diegans already use recycled water. Colorado River water, which is piped to San Diego, contains treated wastewater discharged there by Las Vegas, Blythe and 200 other upstream users. Purified water augments water supplies in Orange County, northern Virginia and other locales with little or no opposition.

The Metro JPA is a coalition of cities and special districts outside the City of San Diego that share in the use and upkeep costs of San Diego's sewer system.