Not Sewer, But Water!

I am breaking with tradition to post a non-sewer item, but it is about our water basin, which of course, our septic discharges have damaged greatly. Now, with our almost brand new plant returning water down to the aquifers from Broderson, they will, eventually, become less contaminated from the nitrates and salt water due to the dilution and push back from clean water. Which brings me in a roundabout way to the Basin Management Committee.

What is that you ask? Well, it is a state mandated entity which will manage our water basin. The basins in the entire state must comply. Our committee is comprised of a representative of each of our three water purveyors in town, the CSD Water Department, Golden State Water (which was once Cal Cities) and S&T Mutual, plus a representative of the County: they have one well in our community park, so qualify to serve, and in fact they have become suddenly, HUGELY important in the basin's management.

It came as a big surprise that our basin, that has been studied and talked about endlessly for years, did not quality in its boundary delineations to the state's satisfaction. They denied the science that was presented. So in order to be an approved entity to qualify for loans or grants, the "basin" will have to be expanded to include a lot of area never studied much, nor do many of the residents know that they have suddenly been included.

You have seen the sign on the right side of the road driving back from San Luis Obispo into Los Osos: "Morro Bay Watershed Keep Clean." That is approximately where the state thinks the basin starts, and it is based on old reports from 30 or more years ago. So all the land then, between this sign and our basin must be brought under the umbrella of the Basin Management Committee—something our water purveyors alone are not in any way equipped to do—but the County is. So below is a notice posted and presumably sent to all of these unsuspecting new basin folks. Yes, we do know that there is water out there, we see farm irrigation and houses, but are we really the same basin? The issue will be vetted again during the next round of basin boundary changes. But in the mean time......

Please click image for larger size. If I get the color original, I will replace this black & white version. 

I am bummed to miss this, but it is my Pilates night and I am turning into jello I have missed so many sessions.