Chaffetz seeks $12 million for Magna water

Rep. Jason Chaffetz is asking Congress for $12 million to help the Magna Water Co., a public water district, to purify contaminated underground water.

But he's not doing it through an appropriations earmark, a process he opposes and has vowed not to use. Instead, he introduced a stand-alone bill on Wednesday to authorize the project. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, has introduced similar legislation in the Senate.

"Seeking authorization is the fiscally correct approach to obtaining federal funding for local projects of this scale," said Chaffetz, who has said using earmarks is too opaque and often leads to funding silly and unneeded projects. "This bill will go through an open and transparent process."

The $12 million would go toward a project estimated to cost a total of $51 million. In part, it would build an electrodialysis reversal (EDR) facility to remove perchlorate (a chemical found in rocket fuel and explosives) and arsenic from the Barton well field. That water would be used in the district's drinking-water system.

The project would also use a "bioreactor" process developed by the water district to treat effluent from the EDR facility, and water from that would be used for outdoor irrigation.

Chaffetz said the project merits federal support to help Magna comply with unfunded federal environmental mandates, and to help Magna clean up water contamination left by the Department of Defense and its contractors.

"This is a great project, meriting federal support," he said. "Given our water needs in Utah, this bill also plays an important role in conserving this precious resource."

Ed Hansen, manager of the water district, said the project and new water-treatment technology developed by his district "will help maintain a viable water supply for the northwest portion of Salt Lake County for generations to come."

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