Interior OKs new Vegas-Lake Mead sewage pipe

Scientists studying Lake Mead have found numerous synthetic organic compounds, and also documented endocrine disruption in fish

LAKE HAVASU CITY AZ -- The scandalous Bush/Cheney Interior Department is teaming up with metro Las Vegas to allow new sewage effluent dumping in to Lake Mead, which could further harm water quality for wildlife and people downstream in Arizona, California and Mexico.

Mohave County AZ Supervisor Buster Johnson, a Republican, said the move damages water quality.

“Hundreds of millions of gallons of effluent being dumped into our drinking water at a time when we are trying to clean up the river and protect our drinking water in Mohave County shows the lack of concern for downriver users. I have tried to get other users of the river water to voice their concerns but the Phoenix mayor’s office and others have remained silent,” Johnson said.

Lake Havasu is the collection point for the Central Arizona Project, the major drinking water supplier for Phoenix and Tucson. The lake is also the collection point for the Metropolitan Water District, which serves millions in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties.

Johnson is concerned with the chemicals that remain in effluent even after treatment.

“Since I spoke against this project with respect to the amount and concentration of pharmaceuticals that will be forced down river on us, new information has been released that shows the risk to the public could be worse than originally thought,” he said.

- adapted from havasunews.com