GROWTH DAMPENED OR NOT? OFFICIALS TO STUDY IMPACT OF WATER RULING.

Byline: Susan Abram Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - City and county officials said Thursday they plan to analyze how an invalidated water plan for the Santa Clarita Valley will affect future development in the fast-growing area.

``We don't know what it means yet,'' said Paul Novak, policy deputy for Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich.

``Our attorneys are still poring all over it to see what impact it will have,'' Novak said. ``But our belief is a court has never invalidated an urban water management plan in the past.''

On Wednesday, the 5th District appellate court invalidated the 2000 Urban Water Management Plan approved by the Castaic Lake Water Agency, which manages state water in Santa Clarita, and local water retailers because it did not adequately address perchlorate contamination in local groundwater supplies.

An accurate plan is necessary for developers who must ensure there is enough water supply before obtaining construction permits. The plan is updated every five years.

Wednesday's ruling favored Friends of the Santa Clara River and the Sierra Club, who had sued, saying the water plan included Santa Clarita's tainted groundwater supply as backup in case state supplies were limited by drought. A plume of perchlorate, a byproduct of rocket fuel that has been linked to thyroid disorders, has been identified in the local groundwater, prompting officials to cap four municipal wells.

The two groups also said the plan failed to assess the reliability of the supply in Santa Clarita's two groundwater pools, shallow alluvial aquifer and the deep Saugus Formation.

Ron Bottorff, chairman of the Friends of the Santa Clara River, said Thursday the ruling was a victory for all those who have questioned water agencies about supply.

``We just tried to point out to the court, that (the water agencies) are just taking a rose-colored glass look at the world,'' Bottorff said. ``It's definitely a victory. You have the feeling that nobody is listening when it comes to issues of water supply. Since the court has looked at this plan and found it inefficient, it could have an affect outside the region on the way people look at water plans.''

Bottorff believes the invalidation of the water plan by the state Court of Appeal could affect future development.

``I think it could force some delays in some projects, because some projects cannot show if the plan is reliable.''

Others believe it will not have an impact.

``I don't think it means anything,'' said Marlee Lauffer, spokeswoman for Newhall Land & Farming Company. ``It's not a supply issue. It's a court issue. Since then, there's been research and analysis and progress on understanding the perchlorate issue, and putting in place the technology to have it cleaned up.''

Newhall Land projects planned in the region include the 1,100-home Riverpark and 21,000-home Newhall Ranch.

The Castaic Lake Water Agency has acknowledged that some of the groundwater supply is contaminated and that a plan is being developed to pump water from just those areas without risking the further spread of perchlorate.

The case now faces a new review in Superior Court.

``After we had adopted the plan in 2000, it was the same month that we filed a lawsuit against the Whittaker Corp. and we knew we had to fix it,'' said Mary Lou Cotton, spokeswoman for the CLWA. ``It's all going to be in the 2005 plan. We may choose to amend the 2000 plan, but it's all a matter of just assessing what the courts want. We're about ready to choose the treatment methodology, and get it on line.''

The chemical is believed to have seeped into the groundwater from the defunct Whittaker-Bermite munitions plant in Saugus. The water agencies also said in a joint statement that they were making progress on a plan for a process to remove the perchlorate from the water.

The water plan projects a 20-year supply for the Santa Clarita Valley from a variety of sources, including entitlements from the state Water Project, the Saugus and alluvial aquifers, recycling and stored groundwater.

Last year, a Kern County Superior Court judge ruled that there was enough water to supply about 2,000 new homes in the Santa Clarita Valley each year for the next 20 years, upholding the findings of the water plan.

The ruling had removed the uncertainty swirling around several large development projects that are counting on the CLWA to provide water for the new homes, including Newhall Land's 21,600-home Newhall Ranch. The Newhall County Water District, which chose to withdraw from the litigation, will not be fined, said Lynne Plambeck, Newhall board president.

Plambeck said she voted against the 2000 water plan.

``I hope (the ruling) will help planning agencies see that the water agencies have been giving them the wrong information,'' Plambeck said. ``The city and the county have to rely on what the water agencies tell them. (The ruling) is a warning to all other water agencies to tell the truth. If the water plan isn't accurate, it hurts everybody. You don't solve a problem by pretending it doesn't exist.''

Susan Abram, [phone]

susan.abram(at)dailynews.com