The characteristics of water in our streams put us at more risk than most other areas of the country
experience from sinker-derived lead pollution.  On-third of the study has been completed so far.
Early analysis indicates that high lead levels do exist in the water, with levels that vary greatly by
location and with time.  Dissolved lead, total recoverable lead, and particulate lead all play roles in
exposing organisms, and now tissue levels of lead will be analyzed to determine some indication of
bio-availability of that lead.

Early indication is that at least some tissues are higher in lead in the study segment than in stream
segments higher up in the watershed.  River mussels are one bioindicator species that are being
analyzed.  Observations of the general health of the river mussel colonies have indicated that they
may be having problems with shell integrity, that may or may not be due to the lead, but likely, are
harming the sustainability of the populations.  Lead is higher in study segment shells than shells from
lower risk areas.  A lot of the scientific literature on lead indicates that we should be looking at this
form of pollution as a potential risk to aquatic health in these streams that the salmon depend on for
their sustainability.  Chinook spend very little time in fresh water compared to the other salmonids,
there may be a large difference in exposure to lead.  Source: Siuslaw Watershed News, January 2002, by Ray Kinney.  
Editor’s Note: Lake Creek is a tributary of the North Fork Siuslaw River.
Also see:  www.siuslaw.org

Water for all 162,000 people in EWEB's water service territory comes from the Hayden Bridge filtration plant on the McKenzie River. The McKenzie has supplied EWEB's water for 75 years without disruption. The utility has rights to nearly three times as much McKenzie River water as customers have ever needed.  The plant itself seldom operates near its peak capacity of 72 million gallons a day; even in summer, demand is usually in the 50-million-gallon range. A new reservoir at Hayden Bridge will improve the plant's ability to deal with occasional peaks in demand.

EWEB is in an enviable position with its abundant supply of clean water. Yet the utility is prudent to move forward with plans to drill wells in north Eugene that could serve as a backup. The wells, to be developed over the next few decades, would have the capacity to provide up to 30 million gallons of water a day. The cost, including pipelines and treatment, will be an estimated $11 million.

The utility may never need water from these wells. But if something were to happen to the McKenzie River or the Hayden Bridge plant, EWEB would still be able to deliver water to customers. In 1996, flooding in the McKenzie River nearly forced a shutdown of the Hayden Bridge plant. Such floods are rare, but it's certain that the one in 1996 won't be the last. There are other risks: A big landslide upstream from the plant could muddy the McKenzie. A truck wreck on Highway 126 could dump toxic chemicals into the river. An accident at the plant could shut down pumping or filtration. It's likely that there are other possibilities that no one has contemplated.

It's also possible that nothing will happen to interrupt the Hayden Bridge plant's operations. But there are a number of potential threats to EWEB's water supply, and the utility will be lucky if it avoids all of them indefinitely. People buy insurance, and then hope they'll never need it. But if they do need it, they're glad it's there. That's how it will be with EWEB's north Eugene wells.  Source:  1/20/02, The Register-Guard, Editorial.
Also see:  CFF Issues - Water

Australian officials have made inquiries and the prime minister of Singapore has led a delegation to Tampa to take a look at the project and study the contract with Poseidon Resources Inc., which is building the plant.  Poseidon is also doing a feasibility plant for San Diego.   "The plant in Tampa Bay has certainly spurred renewed interest, especially among policy makers to look at seawater desalination," said Bob Yamada, senior engineer for the San Diego County Water Authority."  "Price was the first thing that really intrigued people," said Don Lindeman, head of the Tampa project.

 There is nothing new about desalination. About 13,600 plants worldwide make 6.8 billion gallons of drinking water out of salt water every day. But there is no plant in this country that produces a public water supply.  There is one plant in Santa Barbara, Calif., and another in Key West. But both are for emergency supplies only and are sitting idle.

Desalination has long been viewed as too expensive compared with more traditional supplies such as well fields and rivers. But new technology has enabled Tampa Bay Water to drive the cost down to close to the $2 mark at the $160 million plant, which is in  the early stages of construction.   Biddle said there is a water shortage in the Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties and the 10 percent of the supply is part of an overall master plan to alleviate the shortfall.   "There are 11 well fields in the region and the plant will help reduce pumping," she said. Source:  12/31/02 - Water Online