A sewer story close to home for a change! Many in town know that there were residential areas that had their own collection system that fed into group septic tanks and leach fields. Bayridge Estates was one of those places. Well, Bayridge hooked up to the sewer of course, but then there was the issue of emptying those giant, group septic tanks, 12 of them!
Two of the twelve were emptied by our own late, great Al, of Al's Septic Service. (RIP Al, you are still missed!) The tanks were to be emptied one or two a year until all 12 had been vacuumed and sterilized just like our home tanks had to be. But after two, Al realized this process wasn't making economic sense for his company, so he bowed out.
The LOCSD staff had to find a replacement. Nine companies were contacted, and nine turned the LOCSD down. Seven more companies, which were out of the area, were contacted. Five, same story. The problem? The sludge had EXPIRED!! (Who knew this could happen?) This stuff is now considered HAZARDOUS WASTE!! (Well, some of us could figure out that when it was fresh, just saying'!)
Two out-of-the-area companies responded, one with a vague hourly bid, transporting the mess to Rancho Cucamonga, California; and the other, to an unspecified place for $110,000.
This all made for a fascinating presentation at our last Utilities Advisory Committee meeting held on Wednesday, October 17. Sad for all of us, Bayridge has only $33,206 in reserves now, and will have a whopping $41,693.40 at the close of the 2017-2018 budget.
To read the ghastly, but riveting, details, go to this link: https://www.losososcsd.org/files/6b6466775/Item+4+Bayridge+Estates+Septic+Tanks+Decommission+Process.pdf
You guys not in attendance missed a great event! But stay tuned. There is no ending to this sludge saga just yet!
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