DISTRICT MAY SUPPLY RECLAIMED WASTEWATER TO MOORPARK FARMERS.

Byline: Enrique Rivero Daily News Staff Writer

The reclaimed water distribution system proposed by Ventura County may benefit only a minuscule part of Craig Underwood's vast farmlands, but any additional water source would be welcome indeed, he says.

Underwood - who grows corn, carrots, peppers and other crops on the 1,100 acres he leases in various parts of the county - said the system proposed by Ventura County Waterworks District No. 1 probably will reach only a small parcel he farms next to the waterworks district's settling ponds.

Still, he says, it's good to know that he may not have to rely completely on well water for his future irrigation needs.

``We're always in favor of using water better, and if reclaimed water can be used safely on our crops, we're all for it,'' Underwood said.

The district is proposing a $600,000 system - consisting of pipes and a pump - that, if approved, would reach either five or so large farms or the two golf courses planned by a developer in Moorpark, said Reddy Pakala, manager of the waterworks district.

The proposed system would supply approximately 1,600 acre-feet per year of irrigation water to farmers and growers within an approximately one-mile radius of the waterworks district sanitation facility on Los Angeles Avenue, Pakala said.

An acre-foot is equal to 325,872 gallons of water.

``We would be drought-proofing the area,'' Pakala said. ``What I mean is that in Southern California we never know when we would have a drought, and there will always be wastewater coming down to the treatment plant.

``By reclaiming it, we would be providing a reliable source of water for our customers,'' he said.

The purpose of the system is twofold, he said. First, it will make available additional irrigation water to growers who now rely on well water.

Also, the system would help the water district cut costs and save customers money, because reclaimed water does not have to be treated to the same stringent standards as excess water that is released into waterways, Pakala said.

It costs more to treat wastewater to the standards mandated by state and federal regulations before it can be discharged into the Arroyo Las Posas than it does to make it safe for irrigation, he said.

The county Environmental Report Review Committee will conduct a public hearing on the proposed irrigation system March 5 at 1:30 p.m. in the county Hall of Administration, Room 311, 800 S. Victoria Ave., Ventura.

The county Board of Supervisors would make the final decision, he said. The board should take up the issue sometime in March, he said.

If approved, construction would begin about six months afterward and take about a year to finish, he said.

All area growers would benefit - even those too far away from the system to get the water it pumps, said David Schwabauer, a partner in Leavens Ranch in Moorpark.

Schwabauer, whose farm grows citrus fruits and avocados, said he would not be able to buy the reclaimed water and would continue to rely on groundwater wells.

``But when we have a resource like that, it means there's going to be more of the existing water for the other farmers, so it benefits everybody,'' Schwabauer said. ``It kind of gets back to the idea of maximizing our use in California of all kinds of water, be it imported or well water.

``Using our water wisely is very good.''