Agree 100%. I think I would have answered almost the same way.

Thanks for the civil discussion regarding the topic.

I generally agree with you. I just do not trust the use of reclaimed water for potable usage as much as you do.

I guess I have a different approach. These issues should be used to make the public aware that the obstructionists stopping us from nuclear power generation are harming us in a multitude of ways that cannot be overstated in terms of importance. If we don’t do that, just accept whatever interim solution seems attractive and move on, things won’t change fundamentally like they need to.

I would rather have water shortages and water crises as a catalyst to solve problems such as illegal immigration, nuke power, etc. than be able to just keep putting it off.

PCD- we all appreciate the history lesson but my point still stands- you don’t live in the County now and what you talk about is ancient history, how on earth does that apply now? Doris Allen- long gone. Dornan- long gone. Dannemyer- long gone. Citroen- long gone. Umberg- long gone AND lost a Supervisor race to a Republican. Cut the conspiracy crap about RINOs and Democrats and see how the electorate votes. Is EVERYONE a Republican, NO. Does the County TEND to vote conservative- hell yes. You criticize me for not being there then so I didn’t know, well sir, you are not here now so you don’t know. I challenge you to come to OC, go to the Republican Central Committee and present your accusations. If you want the party chairs contact information (Scott Baugh), I’ll gladly give it to you.

Like I said, no one cares about your history lesson or what happened back in the day. Build a bridge and get over it.

Robert-
Ok, Global Warming, partially caused by man but I don’t think we can do anything about it so we shouldn’t invest billions chasing a solution we can’t fix. If we want to save energy or find alternative fuels, I say call it what it is and find them but don’t disguise it as curing global warming and invest my tax dollars in those pie in the sky ideals.

I agree with you on nuke power its cheap, clean and feasible. HOWEVER, it will take years to get plants built. Currently, DeSal is about double the cost of reclamation so until we bring the costs down, this is a reasonable solution. Do you live in the County? I live here and I’m all for it…if you don’t live here why complain? You won’t be drinking it anyway. I’ll gladly invite you to my house to toast the first glass of reclaimed water and give you some bottled water.

My earlier point about drinking recycled water is this: if you live inland, your sewage is being treated and discharged into a river, lake, stream or something. Eventually that water will make it into the groundwater table but by that point its clean. Here’s an example in OC: most of Orange County’s ground water comes from the Santa Ana River. The river happens to receive treated wastewater from upstream (in the Inland Empire) As it makes its way down then gets into the ground, eventually it percolates to the watertable and its pumped, treated and sent to homes, etc.

Don’t lump me in with eco-crazy-dipshits because I’m not one. BUT when I see something reasonable, cost effective and worth it, I’m all for it. I’m also all for Orange County having its own water supply and not relying on Northern California or the Colorado River. Eco-freaks got their way in shutting down the Delta because of the smelt and San Diego and South OC are in a world of hurt if that water spigot is turned off. DeSal is years off but reclaimed water is here and it works. I would wager any dollar amount that if you tested reclaimed water versus what we’re drinking already and have been drinking for years they’d be identical with reclaimed being even cleaner. Remember that after the reclaimed water is discharged and allowed to percolate into the water table it will be treated AGAIN when its pumped back up (years later) and distributed.

In short, you want to demonize me but in reality, we probably agree on most things because I can see by your messages you’re a rational guy with similar environmental stands as me (save the reclaimed water thing)and if you’re not drinking the water then you have no reason to get so upset. Your arguments about things we can’t test being in sewage also apply to our water supply in general so either we keep getting better science and deal with it, or we live in fear.

So no, neither I nor anyone I know of in rural areas is drinking “recycled” water in the manner you are characterizing it.

Now when you start talking anout Water Pollution Control Plants (WPCPs) and source control you display a lack of knowledge and experience. A plant with tertiary treatment (you call it secondary) does output effluent, which after chlorination/dechlorination is claimed to meet drinking water quality standards. If you’ll refer back and reread my earlier posts you will see I addressed that issue already. The drinking water quality standards only chemically test for a finite matrix of contaminants/toxics. Similarly, the bioassays test only for a limited set of “indicator” pathogens.

If you have knowledge in analytical chemistry, you know that sampling only for a known list of compounds does not tell you anything about what else might be there. You would also understand how extremely complex the chemistry of influent sewage to the WPCP is.

Source control is not what you are stating. Source control is only effective for industrial dischargers that operate under wastewater discharge permits, complete with self-reporting and random compliance grab sampling. And the range of organic and inorganic compunds that can be legally discharged under these permits is vast. There is NO source control for the public that can and does put anything and everything into the sewer. Everything from expired medications to household chemicals.

Now maybe you can characterize the nature of the chemical reactions that can and do take place in the sewer lines, with all of these chemistries mixing. And on top of that, in an urban area, there is a huge problem with runoff water getting into the sewer lines in rainy weather. Yes, that terrible runoff water that you asserted was “more toxic than the sewage” gets into the sewer lines then becomes part of the sewage influent to the WPCP. How much? Huge. Influent volume can spike as much as 30% due to influent groundwater.

Unknowns of all types, varying pH, organics and inorgancis, differing concentrations, etc. yes, maybe you can tell us what sort of intermediate and final reaction products are or can be formed, because nobody else can. In fact if you can do that successfully I’ll nominate you for a Nobel Prize!!! You can be a peer of Al Gore!!!

FYI, the cost of desalination has dropped dramatically and continues to drop. The biggest cost is the energy. If California went to 100% nuke power at ~4 cents/kWh, then the problem goes away and desal water becomes very practical. But the anti-nuke Eco whacko enviro dipshits have stalled nuke power here. Yet another example of where they are the problem, not the solution.

I agree with you on the regulations. I don’t want some bureaucrat telling me when I can shower.

In summary, my science is perfectly sound. My solution:

1. Get rid of the illegals and stop illegal immigration. Water use in the SW will drop substantially just because of that.
2. Go 100% nuke power for electrical generation. The cheap, endless power source will render desalinated water practical and the water problem goes away. And we won’t have to argue about shitwater.
3. Provide recycled sewage water for the eco dipshits that have exacerbated many of the problems we have. In fact, as I suggested earlier, provide them with untreated shitwater. They are typically full of shit anyway.

Now let me ask you a question: Do you believe human activity has caused/causes “Global warming”? The answer to that question, in a yes or no format, is a reliable indicator itself.

Also, Pam, there are very powerful RINOs in the county that thwart real GOP power. Notice there was no rebuttal after I mentioned Doris Allen? She sold her vote in the CA Assembly to Willie Brown, which kept Willie as the real speaker and Doris Allen became the figurehead, and turncoat, speaker. Doris was the only sitting Assembly Speaker in CA to be recalled and removed from office.

You weren’t there for all the RINOs who came out of the woodwork for her office opening in OC.

You also didn’t know that Loretta Sanchez ran as REPUBLICAN Loretta Sanchez-Brixey for the Anaheim City Council one election before she changed partys and ran as Loretta Sanchez, Mexican-american Democrat. AND I made the distinctions for a reason. SHE empathized them.

Yes, you did have dealings with OC politics, but that isn’t what is being referenced..He made a claim that the R’s have more representation in that particular county, which they do..You had dealing with powerful Dems in the past. I am sure there are still dems that weild that kind of power,but OC is a predominately Republican district.

As someone who got their tires slashed in OC for having a Dornan and a Dannemeyer bumpersticker on his car, I think being in the inner sanctum trumps wikipedia hearsay.

OH, you missed the prop 187 shenanagans by the Democrats in OC.