[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 232 (Thursday, December 3, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66814-66815]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-32204]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[DES 98-54]


Groundwater Replenishment System, Orange County, California

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the draft program environmental 
impact report/tier 1 environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 
and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (as amended), 
the Orange County Water District and the Orange County Sanitation 
District and the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) as lead agencies 
have prepared a joint draft program environmental impact report/tier 1 
environmental impact statement (Program EIR/Tier 1 EIS) for a 
Groundwater Replenishment System in Orange County, California.

Dates: A 60-day public review period begins with the publication of 
this notice. Public hearings are anticipated to be held during January 
1999 in Orange County, California.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the Program EIR/Tier 1 EIS should be 
addressed to either Ms. Tama Snow, Senior Engineer, Orange County Water 
District, P.O. Box 8300, Fountain Valley, California 92728-8300, 
telephone: 714-378-3213; or Mr. Del Kidd, Environmental Protection 
Specialist, Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Colorado Region, P.O. Box 
61470, Boulder City, Nevada 89006-1470, telephone: 714-293-8698. If 
requesting copies of the document, contact Tama Snow, telephone: 714-
378-3213.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Orange County Water District (OCWD) and 
the County Sanitation District of Orange County (CSDOC) propose to 
develop and advance water treatment plant, pipeline and related 
facilities within the Cities of Fountain Valley, Santa Ana, Orange, 
Garden Grove, and Anaheim. The Groundwater Replenishment System 
(Project) would further process water from the County Sanitation 
Districts of Orange County. The water from CSDOC, which is typically 
discharged into the ocean, would be treated through a sophisticated, 
advanced water treatment

[[Page 66815]]

process that would include microfiltration, reverse osmosis and 
disinfection. The microfiltration process uses a series of 
microscopically fine filters to remove fine particles, nitrogen, salts, 
and organic matter that might be in the water. The water from this 
advanced treatment process would be of better quality than the current 
water that is in-filtered into the groundwater basin from the Santa Ana 
River and would surpass (be cleaner and better than) the drinking water 
standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the 
California Department of Health Services and other health and 
regulatory agencies.
    The water from this process would be piped to injection wells to 
create a barrier against saltwater intrusion and to a spreading basin 
for infiltration into the groundwater basin. The Project would provide 
a new, reliable water supply to meet increased demands for potable 
water within the OCWD service area and continue to protect the existing 
groundwater from further contamination from seawater intrusion. The 
Project water would also be used to supplement the existing Green Acres 
Project, which uses recycled water for landscape irrigation and 
industrial applications. The Project would help reduce the dependency 
on the uncertain water supplies currently received from northern 
California and the Colorado River.
    Extensive evaluations have been conducted over the past seven years 
to define and determine the water supply alternatives to meet the 
future needs of Orange County Water District's customers. The Project 
was identified to be one of the most reliable and cost effective 
project alternatives for providing a new local water supply to Orange 
County. The Project would be implemented in three phases. Phase I would 
be implemented by the year 2003 and would supply 50,000 acre-feet per 
year (afy) (one afy is sufficient water to supply two families of four 
for an entire year). Phases II and III would supply an additional 
25,000 afy by the years 2010 and 2020 respectively, or sooner if 
required.

    Dated: November 20, 1998.
John A. Johnson,
Deputy Director, Resource Management Office.
[FR Doc. 98-32204 Filed 12-2-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-94-P