Chloramine opponents get boost

Chloramine is a combination of chlorine and ammonia used to clean water, and county residents have said it has given them rashes and lesions since the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission began using it instead of chlorine Feb. 1. The SFPUC controls water diverted from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir to the Peninsula.

Chloramine can harm kidney dialysis patients, studies suggest, as well as fish in aquariums and businesses that use treated water. It is not clear what long-term effect, if any, it has on people.

City Manager Ralph Jaeck said the county's request for a health inquiry was appropriate for the city, and Councilwoman Linda Larson said it was "high time" to act on it.

"This has been a very hotly contested issue," she said. "I think people are very concerned about it and rightly so."

Councilman Robert Gottschalk said he worried the city might invite lawsuits by supporting the county's resolution. It says, "chloramine has been known to cause corrosive pipe deterioration releasing lead and other toxins into the water supply." City staff said the council's action just supported the county, and its resolution was not conclusive on the alleged effects of chloramine.

Gottschalk said that satisfied him.

Mayor Marc Hershman said he spoke to Supervisor Mark Church Tuesday about the issue and also supported it.

Wynn Grcich, a Millbrae hair salon owner, has been speaking at City Council meetings against chloramine for nearly a year. In past meetings she has yelled at Hershman, who sits on the Bay Area Water and Conservation Agency.

In other business, the city changed the name of its city administrator to city manager, to better reflect his duties.

Stephen Baxter can be reached by e-mail at stephen@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 109. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.