LOS ANGELES—Southern California's largest water agency moved forward with a groundwater extraction project without disclosing that the water is contaminated with uranium and other toxic chemicals, a newspaper reported Sunday.


The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California knew eight years ago about a "major stumbling block" with the proposed Hayfield Groundwater Storage Program but failed to inform key officials or the public, according to an Orange County Register investigation.


Water tests in 2000 found that uranium contamination at Hayfield averaged roughly 16 picocuries per liter, with a high of 35 picocuries per liter. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's limit for uranium in drinking water is 20 picocuries per liter. The five largest community water agencies in Orange County report average uranium levels of 1.9 to 9.4 picocuries per liter.


Since those 2000 tests, planners have promoted the Hayfield project in Congress and at a water conference in San Diego. In July, the agency cited Hayfield as an available resource if drought conditions continue, saying nearly 4 billion gallons of water could be retrieved from Hayfield in 2009.


On Tuesday, the agency plans to ask the board to approve preliminary steps to extract water from the site.


District officials insisted the contamination is isolated and the water can be diluted with clean Colorado River water to make it safe. General Manager Jeff Kightlinger said that everyone who needed to know about the contamination was informed.


"It was never communicated as a show stopper because we didn't believe it was," Kightlinger said.


Water experts said that Metropolitan's plan to dilute the water to lower the concentrations is a common and generally accepted solution. District officials also said that all water tested at Hayfield represents "raw," untreated water. Before any of that water is delivered to residents it would be treated, which would further lower the level of contamination.


Environmentalists were dismayed to learn about the uranium contamination.


"I would expect a higher level of truth," said Elden Hughes of the Sierra Club, who once urged the district to pursue the Hayfield project. "They should have been more forthright."


Experts said the agency may face a public relations problem when the public learns about the uranium in the water, and some of Metropolitan's own member agencies may refuse to take it.


"A lot of people in Newport are upset about fluoride (in the water)," said Jan Vandersloot, an Orange County environmentalist. "Uranium in drinking water... I think that would be a cause for concern."


For the amounts typically found in water, uranium is dangerous not for its radioactivity but for its properties as a heavy metal. Uranium is toxic to kidneys and in high enough doses can kill tissues surrounding the organs. [emphasis mine...SB]


http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_10705931?nclick_check=1