You don’t want just one drop in all that water? Maybe if I told you that the LADWP has already spent the $55 million from the state and federal government, you would feel more comfortable. No? That’s a lot of money. What do you mean, "Has the process been tested?" Of course. No independent studies but the DWP’s own experts say it’s okay, that we get reclaimed water now.

You DO trust the DWP and all their experts, don’t you? I see you’re starting to loosen up. Good. I do, however, have to tell you that by allowing me to add this drop of filtered raw sewage to your drinking water, you are participating in a medical experiment.

Not thirsty anymore? You want more information, do you? Okay, here’s the deal: So far technology does not exist to remove some chemicals from the water. Just recently a story broke in the L.A. Times about Chromium 6 levels in our existing drinking water. That’s just one that has reached our consciousness because of the Erin Brockovich story. In a 1998 study, Issues in Potable Reuse: The Viability of Augmenting Drinking Water Supplies With Reclaimed Water, they describe the process this way: "…the intentional augmentation of a community’s raw water supply with treated municipal wastewater." The scientists who compiled the data for this study ask this simple question right up front, "Do we know enough to establish criteria by which treated wastewater can be judged suitable for human consumption?"

I suggest that if technology doesn’t exist to pull Chromium 6 out of the drinking water, then how can we know for certain that the many known and unknown chemicals that are being flushed today will be gone tomorrow? The word for these chemicals is "toxins". In a few years after the beginning of this project, it is estimated that 2% of our water will be swapped with treated raw sewage. This toxic soup may or may not be healthy for us even at a low dose.

You want the rest of the plan? Once this raw sewage has gone through the Tillman experience, it must be chlorinated heavily to remove the nitrogen that Tillman is not yet able to remove. Then the "water" is delivered to the spreading grounds near Hanson Dam and in Tujunga. From there it will seep down, down, down through many layers of earth. This journey through God’s own filtration plant, according to the DWP will take 5 years. Yet some other recent studies not connected with DWP say this is not correct. The other sources describe the journey as much quicker saying that the distance between the spreading fields and the underground water supply is not as far as the DWP claims. A shorter experience in the earth means not as much of nature’s cleansing will go on. Who should we believe? Anyway, the DWP says they will drill several testing wells. The problem comes if they don’t like what they see that is still in the water. Once the "water" reaches the spreading grounds, there is no turning back. But the testing seems like a good idea – knowledge is power after all.

When the journey through the earth is complete, the water now diluted in our underground aquifers must be chlorinated again. How can only 2% of the water receive this chlorination? What a silly question. It ALL must be chlorinated. That’s 2 chlorination processes. You don’t really want to know what scientists are learning about chlorine. If you do, read Pandora’s Poison by Thornton.

The unknowns are great. The likelihood of human error exists. At the end of the day, who will want to be the DWP employee making this phone call: "Hello, is this Joe in quality control? Uh, yeah, Joe, this is Sam at Tillman. We may have a little problem here. The Chromium 6 has gone up a bit over the standards. Yeah, and there’s some radio active isotopes levels that are way off the charts. And there’s more but let’s start there. No, I don’t know how long these readings have been like this. I’m just filling in for Fred. He’s out with another one of his headaches. What should I do?"

In this scenario anything is possible because of the consequences: The public’s confidence in their government and the DWP would plummet. The people would panic. All the aquifers would have to be closed. The whole world would be laughing at L.A. Our water would have to come from outside the area depleting other natural resources. The cost in time and money in an effort to find a way to clean up or sanitize our water would be staggering. You would pay the price in tax hikes, assessments, increased water cost, lower property value and maybe, just maybe your life.

Yes, this is an experiment. There is no mystery behind the veil that has hung over this project for years. The material from the DWP that was sent to only a few homes states clearly that the water would go to keep parks clean and engines in plants cool. Would the Federal and State government have parted with $55 million if they knew the water was going into our taps? The City Council was not given a clear picture of this when the project was presented to them for their approval.

It wasn’t until May that the LADWP came clean, Joel Wachs went ballistic, Senator Alarcon hit the roof and the DWP was ordered to do 15 workshops to inform the public. At that time, Tom LaBonge, former special assistant to Mayor Riordan was sent to be the public relations guy for the DWP.

There may be a chance to stop this. "What about all that money? The project is ready to go online!" Fine, let’s go forward with the project, just don’t put it in the drinking water. We need to keep that as pure as we can. And keep it away from agriculture because we depend on that for our health as well.

Our children, the elderly and those with immune deficiencies will be the canaries in the DWP’s coal mine.

What can you do about it? When you receive information through a flyer on your doorstep, on a card in your mail box, in the newspaper or on the radio telling you about a hearing on this issue, respond! Drop what you’re doing. Do this for yourself, the young, the old and ones with weak immune systems. Go to the hearing. Let City Hall wonder what to do with this mass of outraged humanity. Make sure they do for you what you have paid them to do: Demonstrate concern for the safety of the people of Los Angeles.

We will all be drinking this water. Everyone will be exposed at one time or another whether one can afford bottled water or not. When you brush your teeth, wash your dishes, take a shower, swim, or wash your fruits and vegetables. Even if you buy organic produce to eliminate chemicals and pesticides, you will be putting toxins back on them. You will be a recipient when you are out to dinner or it will come in a pitcher of water given to you at your bedside in the hospital.

If we allow this, we will be paying the DWP at inflated rates for the dubious honor of participating in a medical experiment.