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But that was not the only factor at work. SoCalGas

Aug. 21, 2017 by Lena Webb

But that was not the only factor at work. SoCalGas was also responsible for failing to properly maintain a water supply when it was located in the Porter Ranch community.

A study published in the Journal of the Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics of the International Astronautical Union (JASUNI), which is also a member of the SoCalGas team, found that since the project began two wells were not adequately maintained.

The first one was still running, and the second one was being switched off, the study found. (JASUNI's lead author, Bruce DeFosso, explained that even with the maintenance, he has not been able to keep the water supply running properly for the past two years.)

"The water supply is not running," he told WND. "The problem is because the water supply is not being maintained properly."

The researchers also found that the water is not being replenished with other resources or recycled. As a result, the water at the spill site was not being replenished at all.

In addition to the potential problems the spill could cause, the researchers stated that there is a potential for the spill to cause water contamination and that the contamination could affect the food industry.

"All of the above factors should be considered in making a full assessment of what can and should be done to prevent future water contamination," they wrote.

The settlement also includes a penalty of $3 million in fines and $250,000 in damages. The fine for violating the Clean Water Act was $10,000.

"The Los Angeles City Water and Sewerage Commission has been involved in the ongoing issue," said SoCalGas's Mike T. Riggs, the head of the water system. "We believe that the city will be in an incredibly difficult position to resolve this issue."

That's not entirely surprising, said Chris Eichman, executive director of the American Water Works Association.

"A lot of our members are opposed to this settlement, but I think everyone does believe that this is an important issue that is impacting our customers and not the water system industry," he said.

But even with all of that, the settlement was a significant step toward bringing about change.

"The settlement is not an easy decision," Eichman said. "We've had a lot of feedback from our community members as well as a lot of concerned citizens in the community."

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights