Water System

The recent decision by the City Council to begin operating a well containing chromium 6 -- and thus increase levels of the heavy metal in the city's drinking water -- was an example of Glendale officials finally coming to grips with reality. After debating the issue for more than two hours Tuesday night, the council voted to begin operating the well and to ask the EPA for permission to shut down a second high-chromium well so it can treat the water for pollutants.

Thousands of Southern California residents will visit more than 230 homes during this weekend as part of the largest Parade of Ponds self-guided water-garden home tours in the world. And this year Descanso Gardens' is not only on that list, but it also benefits from the proceeds of events. Sponsored by Pro Ponds, a distributor of water features, the program allows ticket-holders to explore various water gardens from Ventura to San Diego from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., said Rita Quinn, director of public relations for Pro Ponds West.

Marlene Hitt Whether it was last Sunday afternoon, when the main line at our place ruptured, or that early Friday morning of Aug. 6, 1921, when L.T. Rowley's water tank collapsed, water supply has always been the No. 1 priority. That Friday in '21, according to the Glendale Evening News, Mr. Rowley was awakened early, not yet knowing about his great loss until a neighbor came by to tell him. The terrible news for Rowley was that he had lost $2,000 worth of water and storage.

Two candidates with experience on the Crescenta Valley Water District's Board of Directors are vying for another crack at the board's open two-year seat. Ken Putnam, who currently sits on the board, and Charles Beatty, a former board member who also is running for the Crescenta Valley Town Council as an incumbent, will face off for the position at the polls Nov. 8. There are three seats open this election, two four-year terms and one two-year term. The two incumbents running for the four-year terms, Kathy Ross and Judy Tejeda, are not being challenged.

CITY HALL — On the bulletin board across from his desk, Patrick Hayes keeps a picture of the 2006 Linda Vista main break as a constant reminder of the damage that can be caused by failed pipes. The after-effects of major main breaks — including flooding and street damage — often require extensive repairs with high price tags for the city. They can also cause major annoyances for residents. “It’s not just the cost of the repair. It’s the social cost,” said Hayes, principal engineer with Glendale Water & Power.

Marlene Hitt William E. Smythe, one of the founders of the Little Landers Colony in 1913 was considered a famous irrigation crusader. He wrote that water would become the elixir of social justice. Thanks to the irrigation ditch, he said, family farms would replace agricultural estates. According to Smythe, democratic opportunity had been stolen after the Gold Rush by overbearing land and railroad monopolies. One of his statements: "The reshaping of the state's hydrography has conjured cities out of the desert and put California fruit on the tables of the world."

LOS ANGELES — The city of Glendale received court approval Monday to do much-needed maintenance work at Grand View Memorial Park — clearing the way for the cemetery's eventual reopening. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Anthony Mohr handed down the court order Monday allowing the city to remove or prune dried-out trees on the cemetery grounds to reduce the risk of fire and liability if a limb were to fall on a visitor. The city decided on June 26 to do the work before renewing limited visitation days at the cemetery.

The City Council on Tuesday authorized $281,750 in emergency repairs to the Brand Park Reservoir that water officials say will keep the wooden beam support and roof structure from collapsing. Built in the 1920s, the 10-million-gallon underground reservoir has yet to see such a far-reaching overhaul, which will replace 157 rotting wood support columns and 17 wooden beams that in 2004 were found to be too weak to continue supporting the roof. The repairs were granted emergency status after it was determined delaying them for one more season put the roof in danger of collapsing.

LA CRESCENTA — Water officials proposed more than $48 million in infrastructure improvements Monday for the foothill area that would include increasing capacity, distribution and emergency capabilities. Consultants and staff members for the Crescenta Valley Water District sought direction from the agency's board on how to prioritize a long list of capital improvement projects they would like to see completed over the next 10 years. "We'd all love to do everything, but is it all affordable?"

Charging Glendale residents for water based on whether they are a small, medium or large users is ludicrous (“Utility considers another water rate hike,” Sept. 7). A large user likely has a larger property and would presumably use more water and should pay for the water used, but at the same rate as all other users. The proposed tiered system unjustly penalizes larger users because of their property size. We have lived in our Glendale home in Chevy Chase Canyon for 35 years and are now retired.