‘Reservoir of Drought’

Your Dec. 7 editorial “California: One Big Reservoir of Drought” is accurate in all but one respect: the most cost-effective, efficient and available solution. You inform the readers that desalination and rainwater storage in a freshwater harbor are the next reasonable sources of water supply for the future. These are expensive options with adverse environmental impacts. In reality, water recycling--the reclamation of billions of gallons of waste water and their reuse as a substitute for potable water in such uses as irrigation--is the most economical source of water supply. The potential for development of this resource is tremendous, and we have only scratched the surface. Water recycling is a proven technology; there are over 180 water recycling projects in Los Angeles County alone that are successfully reusing water for irrigation of landscapes, in industrial processes and for ground-water recharge.

In the City of Los Angeles, we have a goal to recycle 40% of our waste water by 2010. We will achieve this goal while adhering to the most stringent guidelines and regulations to ensure a safe water supply for a variety of uses that do not necessarily require potable water. With proper allocation of priorities and resources, we can capture this wasted river of water and prevent an even bigger reservoir of drought in the future.

BAHMAN SHEIKH

Director, Office of Water Reclamation

City of Los Angeles