Media Corner

For Immediate Release
February 12, 2004

Treatment Site Promises Safe Drinking Water to Residents

Pico Rivera -After nearly four years of construction, Central Basin Municipal Water District's much-anticipated Water Quality Protection Project, designed to ensure safe drinking water for the residents of Pico Rivera, Whittier and Santa Fe Springs, has been completed.

A dedication ceremony, "Celebrating a Partnership for Clean Water," will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 18, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The event will offer elected officials, local business and community leaders a chance to see the new water treatment plant - one component in the Water Quality Protection Plan (WQPP). Guests will be shuttled to the plant after parking at Pico Park, 9520 Beverly Blvd., Pico Rivera, 90660.

Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard will serve as the ceremony's keynote speaker. In addition, elected officials and local business and community leaders will be acknowledged for their support in the completion of the project. Central Basin worked in partnership with these stakeholders in taking a proactive stance to ensure water quality.

"Central Basin has always gone the extra mile in providing its residents with top-quality, clean, drinking water. Through this project, we continue to maintain our high standard," said Board of Directors President Bob Apodaca. "This dedication ceremony serves as a testament to our commitment to our communities and the environment. We will be purifying approximately 3,600 gallons of water per minute at this treatment site to make sure our residents receive clean and safe water."

The $10-million project, federally funded by the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), was designed to prevent the contaminant plume from San Gabriel Valley from spreading into the Central Basin's local groundwater supply. In the early eighties, contaminants were detected in the San Gabriel Valley groundwater supply, and based on the contamination level, the Environmental Protection Agency declared the area as a superfund site (a highly contaminated area). Eventually, the plume began traveling south through the Whittier Narrows towards Central Basin area, threatening the local groundwater supplies.

The plan consists of two wells located in northern Pico Rivera, which will pump the contaminated water to a treatment plant in Whittier. The water is then treated using a granular-activated carbon system and pumped to the three cities for residential use.

While the construction on the WQPP is complete, Central Basin officials are awaiting final approval of the system from the California Department of Health Services (DHS) - a common safety measure when implementing new water filtration systems. Until then, the water will be discharged into the San Gabriel River to help recharge the groundwater basin. Central Basin officials expect approval from DHS in the next several weeks.

Central Basin is a public agency that wholesales imported water to cities, mutual water companies, investor-owned utilities and private companies in southeast Los Angeles County, serving a population of more than 1.5 million. In addition, Central Basin the region with recycled water for municipal, commercial and industrial uses. Formed in 1952, Central Basin is committed to ensuring a safe and reliable water supply for the region.