The Dilemma of Our Drink: Investigating the Woodland-Davis Water Project
10/26/2012 Word Count: 810
The Dilemma of our Drink: Investigating The Woodland-Davis Water Project
In September 2009, two cities of Yolo County, Woodland and Davis, collaborated to form a “joint powers authority to implement and oversee a regional surface water supply project,” (www.wdcwa.com/the_project). The objective is to gain a new surface water supply from the Sacramento River and construct a number of joint facilities to pump, treat and distribute the water to the cities’ customers. The area currently relies solely on a gradually diminishing groundwater supply. The new plan would provide residents with a cleaner, more reliable water supply for years to come, (http://www.wdcwa.com/the_project ). By the time the project is finished, nearly 70% of the urban population of Yolo County will benefit from the investment, as well as additional project partner, UC Davis, (www.wdcwa.com/the_project).
Research conducted for over the past decade has led the parties to believe that the future of the water supply necessitates this movement. As stricter measures are expected for future city water standards, some wells in the area, which cannot accommodate treatment facilities due to space constrictions, have already been closed due to their output quality. Large, but still legally safe, amounts of Boron, calcium, and magnesium and other dissolved minerals in the groundwater effect taste, smell, and water hardness. Salt is added during treatment to improve the water’s aesthetics, (Water Environment Research, p. 347), (www.ehow.com). Recent changes to regulations will require the cities “greatly reduce the total dissolved solids (TDS) of their water supply as a means of meeting future wastewater discharge requirements,” (www.wdcwa.com, p. 6-7). Not only is this method of water treatment hard on the environment, it is not cost effective. Studies have shown that the available water output from local aquifers may be limited and is unlikely to sustain the growing
The Dilemma of our Drink: Investigating The Woodland-Davis Water Project
In September 2009, two cities of Yolo County, Woodland and Davis, collaborated to form a “joint powers authority to implement and oversee a regional surface water supply project,” (www.wdcwa.com/the_project). The objective is to gain a new surface water supply from the Sacramento River and construct a number of joint facilities to pump, treat and distribute the water to the cities’ customers. The area currently relies solely on a gradually diminishing groundwater supply. The new plan would provide residents with a cleaner, more reliable water supply for years to come, (http://www.wdcwa.com/the_project ). By the time the project is finished, nearly 70% of the urban population of Yolo County will benefit from the investment, as well as additional project partner, UC Davis, (www.wdcwa.com/the_project).
Research conducted for over the past decade has led the parties to believe that the future of the water supply necessitates this movement. As stricter measures are expected for future city water standards, some wells in the area, which cannot accommodate treatment facilities due to space constrictions, have already been closed due to their output quality. Large, but still legally safe, amounts of Boron, calcium, and magnesium and other dissolved minerals in the groundwater effect taste, smell, and water hardness. Salt is added during treatment to improve the water’s aesthetics, (Water Environment Research, p. 347), (www.ehow.com). Recent changes to regulations will require the cities “greatly reduce the total dissolved solids (TDS) of their water supply as a means of meeting future wastewater discharge requirements,” (www.wdcwa.com, p. 6-7). Not only is this method of water treatment hard on the environment, it is not cost effective. Studies have shown that the available water output from local aquifers may be limited and is unlikely to sustain the growing
Cited: Mohammadesmaeili, Farah; Badr, Mostafa Kabiri; Abbaszadegan, Morteza; Fox, Peter, Water Environment Research, Volume 82, Number 4, Water Environment Federation, (2010) p 342-50 Tom Sakash. Council pursues Davis-Woodland water project, The Davis Enterprise, October 24, 2012 Volume 115 · Issue 216. News article/Web source. October 26, 2012. <http://www.davisenterprise.com/local-news/city/city-council-agrees-to-pursue- Enterprise, Volume 115 · Issue 216, September 27, 2012. News Article/Web source. October 24, 2012