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Mr. Beebe referred to the "Yuk Factor." He said the best quality of water is water treated by reverse osmosis. 99.99% of whatever is in the water is removed by reverse osmosis. That is much greater than the Delta water. That is why it has to be in the ground for a year, to satisfy the Yuk Factor and make the public feel better about it. Ms. Michelotti asked about the location of injection and how long it takes to get to the wells. Mr. Beebe said injection has never been considered for anywhere except near the Livermore Airport. Pleasanton is generally down gradient from the Livermore Airport, so within five to twenty years, some of the water will show up in wells. Mayor Tarver believed that in addition to the Yuk Factor, there is also the "I don't know Factor". He believed Mr. Beebe felt he was well-informed and convinced of the safety, but Mayor Tarver did not have that certainty and did not want to put the City's drinking water in Mr. Beebe's hands. Mr. Beebe was surprised at the support for the ballot measure. He believed that twenty years from now, with California's potential water shortage, we will all be drinking this water. A year ago when the first survey was taken, 40% of the people accepted the project; 30% were undecided; and 30% were opposed. He believed people are uncertain but given the information, the 30% that were undecided will join the 40% that supported the project. Eventually, the State of California will have to use this process and no matter how the election goes, if Council goes ahead with the ballot measure, it will serve to educate the public. That is good local government. The ballot language should be neutral, otherwise it is like asking a person if they like going to the dentist without ever talking about tooth decay or gingivitis. It is a big job to educate everyone about this subject. He felt it was not fair to discuss this issue without recognizing that the salt content in the groundwater basin is increasing. He acknowledged Pleasanton uses more of the groundwater basin than other communities, but did not think the citizens would want to bear the cost of dealing with the salt problem alone. That has to be addressed Valley-wide. This project by itself will not solve the salt problem, but projects like it are going to be needed. Zone 7 is currently drafting an integrated water management plan. Reverse Osmosis is one of the tools that will have to be relied upon to make it cost effective to keep the drinking water at a high quality. Ms. Michelotti asked for an explanation or recycled water versus reverse osmosis treated water. Mr. Beebe said there is an irrigation product which is tertiary treated water. This is like allowing the Sacramento River to flow through a filter. That is water that is safe for body contact (swimming) and is being used for irrigation on Dublin sports grounds. The Clean Water Revival (reverse osmosis treated water) is a very different product. It has been through a molecular analysis and is safe to drink. There is a filtration process, followed by the forcing of the water through a sheet that looks like Saran wrap. It is less Pleasanton City Council 17 12/07/99 Minutes