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Show I 1 1 Spelling Bee Contest Winners : - Sonic f Drive-I- n page 7 Everyone has one thing in Common . They are aii Different ''K'&i Valley Vu Villas !: t.: page 8 f -- ' unknown Page 4 Thursday, February 1, 2001 VOLUME 92 NO. 40 Concerns about unsafe Magna water unfounded Petition drive facing battle for incorporation 3y DEBBI OLSON we have a tax base to incorporate, then we will have to circulate another petition to have the issue placed on a ballot for the voters. The feasibility petition drive is about 40 percent complete, Editor Proponents trying to protect Magnas boundaries from encroachment of neighboring cities are fighting an uphill battle to win approval for a proposed feasibility study. Since November, a joint effort between the Magna Area Council Peterson said. In order for the county to conduct a feasibility study, a petition that must be signed by 10 percent of Magna landowners that equals 70 percent of the land within the Magna boundaries. Kennecott Copper has said it will not be part of the incorpora- and the Magna Community Council have been attempting to petition landowners to agree to allow the county to conduct a tax-ba- se feasibility study. The study would determine if tion process and would like to remain a part of unincorporated Magna has the business and Salt Lake County. Magna Councilmembers began the new incorporation effort due industry tax base needed to support an incorporated city and provide for essential city services to encroachment threats from neighboring Salt Lake City and such as police and fire protection. What most people fear is an increase in taxes if we incorporate, said Kip Peterson, a mem- West Valley that are attempting to have legislation passed that would make it easier for sections of the city to be taken away from ber of the Community Council who is spearheading the incorporation effort. We dont know if taxes will go up. That is what the Magna. It is important that Magna keeps its unique identity, said Laura McDermaid, president of the Community Council. We need to get as many signatures as possible before the legislature closes and the rules change feasibility study will answer. ' What we need people to understand is that the petition is just a study to see if it makes sense for us to incorporate. We need to know that before we can move again. The city has lost in two previous attempts to incorporate. forward. Water District Manager Ed Hansen, center, explains the wastewater process to residents during a tour of the new facility. Once a feasibility study is done by the county, the issue incorporation will rest with the vote of Magna residents. This petition is not a vote toward incorporation, Peterson said. If the feasibility study says The councils are looking for interested residents to help circulate the petitions to landowners in the city. Those who would like to help should contact Peterson at 508-182- 0. Improvements planned for historic cemetery If all goes as planned, a survey of the Magnas Pleasant Green Prior attempts to extend a test waterline along the South boundary of the cemetery were temporarily discontinued after vandals destroyed the test lines. Despite the vandalism, all water lines to the tank are currently intact and in working order. Another attempt will be made to maintain water at the cemetery will be completed by mid February. The survey will establish the exact boundaries of the century old cemetery. The survey is an initial step in a plan for further improvements. Once the correct boundaries have been established a mapping tank this summer. phase will begin," said Kent Goble, director of the cemetery. Blocks, lots, plots and graves By DEBBI OLSON District ranges from Editor Through the years Magna water has had its suffered its share of jokes and controversy regarding bad taste and living a long life. But so far, the facts have not supported the old wives-tale- s about poor water in Magna. The fact is, according to the Magna Water Company officials, is that Magna has one of top quality water systems in the state and will soon have a waste-watnew state-of-the-a- rt er treatment facility due to come on-liat the end of the month. Mild concern about Magna water was brought to the surface last week as the outgoing Clinton Administration set a ne new federal limit for the amount of natural arsenic levels that are allowable in drinking water. The Clinton Administration lowered allowable arsenic lev- els from 50 micrograms per liter to 10 micrograms per liter. Currently, water serving residents in Magna and parts of West Valley through the Magna Water Improvement 12-1- 4 mircograms per liter. We are well under the former EPA standards of 50 Micrograms per liter, said Ed Hansen, district manager of Magna Water. If the new ruling stands, we will have to either institute a treatment of the water or begin a blending process to meet the proposed standard. Upon taking office. Pres. y George W. Bush put a 30-da- moratorium on implementing the new standards sent to the Federal Registrar by the Clinton Administration. The new standard was arbitrarily set by Clinton, Hansen said. There has not been enough toxicology studies done on arsenic in the water to justify this of reduction. If the ruling stand, Magna Water will have five years to type reduce the Arsenic levels in the water in order to meet the new federal register goal. Arsenic is a naturally occurring mineral found water that comes from ground water and wells. Magna Water relies on a system of 15 wells to provide water and wastewater treatment to residents in Magna and parts of West Valley that extends to 5400 West and 3500 South. POOR COPY Magnas arsenic levels have remained consistent for more than 30 years, Hansen said. There is no danger of anyone being affected from drinking the water. Just look at the longevity of the people who live here. To assure residents that Magna drinking water is safe, Hansen has water samples being tested at one of the best laboratories in the state. The water company will also begin a pilot study with Utah State University to set process performance indicators for arsenic removal in water. The study is being funded by the American Waterworks Research Foundation This is really exciting for us, Hansen said. We want to show residents that we are working to make sure the water is the best it can be. Hansen said that the original arsenic level standards of 50 micrograms per liter was set and has been maintained after extensive studies and peer reviews. Arsenic levels in other cities in throughout the state recorded much higher levels than Magna Water is reporting. Park City reported arsenic levels of 17 mgl; Taylorsville report- 4 ed wells with mgl; GrangerHunter wells reported 12 22-2- The water system improvements will de designed to maintain the unique, pristine nature of the cemetery. Goble said that it has taken the volunteer efforts of many people will be marked and a computer4 mgl; Kearns reported mgl and St. George reported 8 mgl. One of the highest reports came from Dagget County will an arsenic level of 97 mgl and Eagle Mountain 13-1- 20-1- with 43 mgl. Hansen said Magna water is regularly tested to insure that the quality remains within permitted guidelines. Because of the soil content in the city, Magna water tends to be high in minerals, but none of them are lethal. According to water officials ized map will be created. Cemetery records will then be computerized and all available and service groups to improve and maintain the cemetery. V nteerism has been the key to .nany of the improvements including a reduction in vandalism throughout the cemetery., information input. According to Goble, much of the funding will be derived from a grant obtained from the state of Utah. A generous donation received from Kennecott will also help defray the costs. Goble said. Anyone witnessing inappropriate behavior in the cemetery is encouraged to report the incident to the Salt Lake County Sheriffs Plans to run water lines into the cemetery from a water tank at the southwest comer of the cemetery is expect to be the next Department improvement sought. from throughout the state, many bottled water products could be more harmful than water because the bottled water industry is not currently regulated and does not have to meet the same regcity-treat- V n jf ed ulations as water plants.. Unless the water has gone through a reverse osmosis process, it could have more particular solids in it than most city water, said Mark Pflug, a former water quality treatment operator. Many bottled water products have up to three times the amount of total dissolved solids than water that comes through treatment 4" T ; jh T W " Oa Fr j Feb. 2, don, I..:. 4 t,t sun Pig will tvshn cs r t$ h lie hly. Sufeet San U Ct wt.cm :r 7 I;;!,' vmba yf the v sbw'iy i. ii, 1 -j - T s " . it.-1- - ' If Sus'et Sam witnesses die setting cf the stm cf Friday, then there will be at least 6 nn-- e vs cf; hter, If we cant V a vp and he misses the r 7; n than v' .1 CV1 . r ' 4 i - ; 1 1 1 jee at T.Ct 3t U is g .1. - Cl |