From: cathy bissonette

Sent: Sun Nov 13 21:23:54 2011

To: waterqualitystandards

Subject: Hearing on reduced waste water standards Hermiston, OR

Importance: Normal

Wayne Reffett

500 Canal

P.O. Box 1785

Umatilla, OR 97882

11/13/11

Don Butcher,

I am concerned, that if the treated water from the Hermiston Waste Water Facility is put into the canal near The Three Mile Dam, that when the water from the Umatilla River is shut off from entering the canal the waste water will back up behind where the Columbia River Water enters the canal and will become a two and one half mile open sewer lagoon. If the waste water comes in at a higher temperature it will only make the situation worse. Currently the water from the Umatilla River is blocked behind the water from Columbia Water inlet and is stagnate water that grows moss and algae. I am also concerned about what happens to the waste water if the canal has a wash out like the one this spring that went thru the Schultz's home. I believe the canal was down for over a week for repairs to be completed. The emergency release would be into the Umatilla River in that case and that is not acceptable by DEQ in a few years. At this point we would be getting our irrigation water before the waste water mixes with the Columbia River water after the Umatilla River water stops coming into the canal. So we would be getting straight waste water, not the mixture the rest of the canal would receive. There are clean-out areas along the canal that dump back into the rivers that leak all year long that would have to be upgraded to keep the sewer water out, and I do not want to see the burden of any special repairs to the canal so it may receive Hermiston's waste water be passed on to the canal users and the district. It was unclear to me if Hermiston was paying the district to take their waste water. I think the water would be safer for the public and the rivers, and better used if it were pumped onto crops and filtered thru the sand into our water sources. It seemed to work at LGW Ranch for the many years. There are other large farms across I-84 with thousands of acres and no homes or residences near by. Thank you for your time and consideration of my concerns.

Best Regards,

Wayne Reffett