Wastewater in Cheery Colors

This doesn't quite look right.......it can't be from humans.....

Septic Hell

Well! An article coming in from a news feed, which in the avalanche of E-mail I get, I oddly chanced to open on my phone days ago (most of these go unopened, depending on the stuff-to-do load), the link to which I almost lost six times, has turned into a delightful discovery! Someone as sewer crazed as I, but unfortunately trapped in that special hell of septic tanks run amok, has written about it, and in a most entertaining way! This person lives in Stinson Beach.

Stinson Beach, a pricy, swanky community north of San Francisco, actually isn't so different from Los Osos. Tidal flats, off the beaten path, some parts beautifully fixed up, others not so much....I just took a Google Earth drive through it. It is greener. But not more beautiful. They built on their sandpit and ours is pristine. And Montaña de Oro is so breathtaking.... I could go on, but all two of you readers already know about that I'd bet.

Take a look at these blog quotes about Stinson Beach and see if you see any similarities to Los Osos:

“……a deliberate decision by the community of Stinson Beach to control population growth by declining to modernise their system of waste disposal.” 

“The simple answer is that through the process of community meetings and a bond vote in a special election, the residents of Stinson Beach rejected over 10 different sewer plans and chose the alternative of onsite systems.” 

"… which also happens to be a place where the sandy soil makes for an operating environment not ideal for septic systems – and increases the likelihood that they will fail?" *** (I know, I know, WE have MAGIC sand, not that ordinary kind! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!!)

http://californiacoastdweller.com/a-new-page-that-does-not-move/ 

Do have a look at these particularly entertaining posts!

http://californiacoastdweller.com/2015/04/30/1668/

http://californiacoastdweller.com/2015/03/30/1596/

Catch them all here:

http://californiacoastdweller.com/tag/stinson-beach-septic-problems/

Recent improvements to the public beach part of Stinson are described here:

http://www.ptreyeslight.com/article/golden-gate-hears-concerns-over-stinson-beach-septic-overhaul

A Stanford Study can be found here:

http://news.stanford.edu/news/2010/may/septic-wastewater-sea-052010.html

The colossal question is—why is their Regional Water Quality Control Board AND the Coastal Commission not all over them they way that they were with us? Maybe because they are only polluting the ocean, and we.....wee wee right into our water supply which sits below our septic tanks? But then, they have a population of a mere 632....and we a robust 14,200.

I checked out their water supply and I found that their situation is quite a bit different from ours:

The Stinson Beach water supply is provided by two types of sources: surface water and ground water. Surface water is supplied by the Fitzhenry, Black Rock, and Stinson Gulch Creeks. Ground water is supplied by Steep Ravine, Alder Grove, Ranch, and Highlands Wells, which operate intermittently. The collected raw water is piped to the Laurel Treatment Facility. The water is then processed by our New Pall Membrane Filters which consist of two parallel units, each rated at 100 gallons per minute. Sodium hypochlorite (chlorine) is added after filtration for disinfection purposes.

http://stinson-beach-cwd.dst.ca.us/quality.html 

Happy Reading!!

Sex Changing Fish - Old Wastewater Worry - New Solution

Here is a fun topic to mull over - sex changing fish! Anyway, there is a newly proposed antidote - removing the hormonal contaminants in recycled wastewater. You can read about it here:

http://www.wateronline.com/doc/sex-changing-fish-inspire-new-method-of-wastewater-treatment-0001?sectionCode=NewsFeaturedItem&templateCode=Single&user=2124006&source=nl:43369&utm_source=et_10759433&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=WOL_2015-07-07&utm_term=8B6151B5-326C-4D25-A47F-7FA24BE85D17&utm_content=Sex-Changing%2bFish%2bInspire%2bNew%2bMethod%2bOf%2bWastewater%2bTreatment

Tribune Article on LWV's Civility Mission

I was pleasantly surprised to see the Trib reporting on the issue of civility brought forth by the SLO County League of Women Voters!  (Go Marilee Hyman! Someone who always had good observations to offer when she was on the WRAC - Water Resources Advisory Committee.) The article was front page, above the fold in the paper issue, appropriate for a pre-July 4 comment on democracy. I'm very glad to see the LWV bring this issue to the forefront and the Trib's respect for this topic; it is much needed. Hopefully, if successful at the highest level, the BOS's chambers, it will filter down to the smaller government venues as well. 

While the high dudgeon days of the anti-sewer nuts are mostly over, the residual stench of poor manners in public will still raise its hideous head, just vocalizing now on other issues. This much anger might be a mental issue, but it is also just a case of these people's feelings of "personal exceptionalism" and entitlement, coupled with rotten manners, that causes the problems, not the ideas put forth. They have shot themselves in the foot more than once, but the lesson seems not to have left the foot to travel to the brain. Yes, altering bad behavior is difficult, but not unheard of or impossible to achieve.

The Trib reporters have been in the Board of Supe's chambers often enough to see how certain members of the public seem to want to obstruct civil discourse when things are not going their way by shouting out from the back of the room or using foul words or topics at the podium. I hope when this happens, that they will report the conditions in the room, not just the general issues spoken about, sweeping the actual dirt under the front row seats and out of sight. That dirt needs exposure for actual cleansing.

The TV audience never quite gets to see or really hear what caused the chairperson to gavel down the unseen, unheard ruckus, often assuming it is some egomaniacal whim of the chairperson to stop proceedings, thereby igniting the assumption that free speech is being thwarted and threatened, when in fact, stopping bad behavior is necessary to allow free speech for everyone, not just those who yell the loudest, and who are intimidating those fearful of being yelled at for speaking up on their ideas. Discourse should not be attenuated by fear; that is the opposite of free speech. Democracy demands free speech.

So, while slightly off the sewer issue, this topic seemed worthy of a posting, especially since the sewer is not yet operational until 2016, and there are unassigned recycled wastewater amounts still to be allotted somewhere. Not to mention the crabbing on the money not yet spent on conservation which still bring out the angry words. There will be fighting over water to come; let's make it a fair and civil fight.

(I wanted to get whisky in the paragraph above, as we are in the middle of an awful drought and the old saw about water's for fightin' and all, but without ice—which IS water, just immobilized—I can't. Happy July 4—plus beer is a better beverage for this occasion anyway.)

Read the Trib article here:
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/07/02/3706421_league-of-women-voters-civil-discourse.html?rh=1

BOS July 7, 2015! Civility on Agenda!

Off the Tuesday, July 7 Supes agenda—

(after the lunch recess and the report out of closed session, which does have the ARB lawsuit and the ISJ as topics for Closed Session. Dollars to doldrums we will hear nothing; we never do. Don't get me started on why the ISJ has dragged on so long, could be the delay in getting a sewer had something to do with that you know.......the recall, losing the $134 million SRF loan, the bankruptcy, etc.....meanwhile our water supply dwindles and dwindles, the county being our only savior with the water conservation measures in its sewer project—the LOCSD tries, but hampered with NO money, gets not very far—poor Golden State stymied by needing to get permission from the PUC to even sneeze, ALL of that.....) 

—OK, back to why I started this.........

Presentations

34. Submittal of a resolution supporting the Civility and Civil Discourse Accord resolution. All Districts. 

I can't wait to see what the support documents say for this item. Maybe the Los Osos CSD needs to check this out for their meetings as there is an echo in the room, albeit a tiny one, from the past uncivil insanity that has recently re-sprouted.

UPDATE: Read the relevant documents off of this link:

http://agenda.slocounty.ca.gov/agenda/sanluisobispo/Proposal.html?select=4779

Below is a particularly pointed quote from the resolution:

"WHEREAS, we commit ourselves to building a civil political community in which each person is respected and spirited public and political debate is aimed at the betterment of San Luis Obispo County and its people and not the disparagement of those with whom we disagree."

I guess that means shouting down a person at the podium from the back of the room is not to be condoned. Yes, some of the audience members at the LOCSD should take note. What they are doing is not aimed at any betterment of the community, but rather the betterment of their personal status among other like-mouthed louts.

County Update! May 2015!

http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/Assets/PW/LOWWP/PM+Monthly+Update+May2015.pdf

The photos show a LOT of progress since the last tour - have a look!

Water Report—Complete with Nitrate Concentrations!

Hot off the County's website:

June 22, 2015: May 2015 Baseline Groundwater Quality Report released to the Regional Water Quality Control Board. This was an additional requirement under the WDR R3-2011-0001. This report contains the latest Nitrate concentrations and Groundwater levels.

Quote:

The number of monitoring network wells with water quality in excess
of the NO3-N drinking water standard of 10 mg/l is presently 18 out of 23 wells tested.

Two of the wells were dry, so were not tested. There is 108 pages of fun stuff to read!

Roads and Easements, vis-à-vis the Sewer Project!

Off the Board of Supes agenda for the Tuesday, June 16th meeting:

0. Consent Agenda - Public Works Items: 

20. Submittal of bid opening report for 2014-15 Micro Surfacing, Los Osos, to award thesubject contract to Telfer Highway Technologies, the lowest responsible bidder, in the amount of $1,103,955. District 2.

22. Submittal of a resolution authorizing conveyance of utility easements to Pacific Gas & Electric and to Southern California Gas, by separate easement deeds, for the Los Osos Wastewater Project – Water Recycling Facility, Los Osos. District 2. 
    

Most interesting are the maps on each of these items, check them out! Is your street on the map in Item 20? Mine is!

And, oh yeah, then there is this item in Closed Session:

0. PENDING LITIGATION (Government Code, section 54956.9.) It is the intention of the Board to meet in closed session concerning the following items: Existing Litigation (Gov. Code, section 54956.9(a)). (Formally initiated.) (3) ARB, Inc. v. County of San Luis Obispo; 

Looks like this continues down the path of endless litigation, like so many court cases in Los Osos over the years......

Monarch Grove, Part II

0. 
   

   AGENDA                                  BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 
   

   Tuesday, June 02, 2015 
   
   
   
   Board Business:

35. Consideration of a request to authorize processing of an Amendment of the Official Maps – Part III of the Land Use Element / Local Coastal Plan Amendment (LRP2014-00021) to adjust the Urban Services Line to include the neighborhood of Monarch Grove, located south of Monarch Lane and west of Pecho Valley Road, in the community of Los Osos. District 2

http://agenda.slocounty.ca.gov/agenda/sanluisobispo/Proposal.html?select=4751

Hmmmm. The change to the Urban reserve Line was in processes at the Coastal Commission in 2006, then dropped there for lack of attention by the LOCSD.......Yet another delay caused by the LOCSD's bankruptcy; a lesser known one of course, but one still very important to the residents in Monarch Grove.

County Update! April 2015!

I am thankful to the County for another update as my blogging on here has been almost nonexistent of late!

Read the new stuff here:
http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/Assets/PW/LOWWP/PM+Monthly+Update+Apr+2015.pdf

The photo on the first page is stellar, and the one of the tertiary filter cloth disc media looks like a scrubber I have under my kitchen sink, only a LOT bigger.

County Update! March 2015!

Thank goodness they have posted something, I have been a terrible writer of late!

Here you go, catch up on the latest sewer news!

http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/Assets/PW/LOWWP/PM+Monthly+Update+Mar2015.pdf

Septic Tankville

I was at Loomis Tank Centers in Arroyo Grande today looking at tanks to capture water from the roof drain spouts. (They are very nice there and very, very helpful.) But my attention was quicky diverted to—yes, septic tanks! Unless you saw Don Bearden's tank that he parked in the front of his house several years back, pre-collection system choosing in our sewer project, you really wouldn't know how gigantic these things are as you don't really get to see what is in your own yard because it is buried. Thankfully.

Anyway, have a look! These are sparkly clean, never having experienced what there purpose in life is to be, so they smell nice too. Really! I stood right next to them!

The teeny one, 350 gallons. Kinda looks like that atom bomb, Fat Man, the inner 7-piece Duralumin sphere part.

Next, a nice HDPE model, happy to accommodate 750 gallons.

Taking on the aspect of a truncated  centipede, we have the lovely 1500 gallon model that measures 16 feet long. Link to a photo of a 16 foot great white shark.

And here is a 16 foot fiberglass model, unassembled.

Well, that is my field trip for today. I've been slacking on writing over here. I do apologize; been busy!

(Selfie with a septic!)

Some Sewage Treatment In Atlanta Georgia

For your viewing pleasure, here is my very first attempt at an iMovie. I used a canned format and added a very short, actual video that I shot driving by the R.M. Clayton plant in Atlanta, Georgia. Unfortunately, I had about 16 seconds of video and the movie format was for more footage. Oh well, you will see a longer version than there actually was.

https://youtu.be/j1jxIpcSrv4

Street Repair/Modern Art!

Yes, our streets are getting fixed from the sewer equipment's wear and tear. Here is what it looked like on my street today. All the little cracks were getting filled with the black gunk out of a tube out of a holding tank on the back of a truck. The guy with the shovel had to smooth it down and spread it a bit. The County guys were really friendly and didn't mind my inane questions or the fact that they were going to wind up on a sewer blog! Anyway, it looked  like the day stayed cool for them; fog, I hope, made their work a little easier.

I have seen less attractive art in galleries. Not their intent to create it, but sometimes street art really is street art. 

Addition to BOS Agenda 4/21/15

Yes, it's baaaaack.......!

ADDED ITEMS 
CLOSED SESSION 

PENDING LITIGATION 

18. Los Osos Community Services District v. Golden State Water Company, et al. 



The question is: Will it ever be over?

BOS Has Los Osos' Streets on Agenda

Off the Consent Agenda for the April 21, 2015 Board of Supes meeting:

• Bid Opening:

2. Letter transmitting plans and specifications (Clerk’s File) for 2014-15 Micro Surfacing, Los Osos, for Board approval and advertisement for construction bids. Bid opening date set for Thursday, May 21, 2015. District 2. 

See support documents.

Consent Agenda - Public Works Items:

11. Submittal of bid opening report for the 2014-2015 Asphalt Overlay of various roads in Los Osos, to award the subject contract to CalPortland Construction, the lowest responsible bidder, in the amount of $1,996,426. District 2.

See support documents.

And, oh groan, once again, will this NEVER end?

0. Closed Session Items: 

0. 4. Los Osos Community Services District v. Golden State Water Company, et al. 
   

April 7- BOS LO Water Conservation Rebate On Agenda

0. Consent Agenda - Auditor - Controller - Treasurer - Tax Collector Items:
   
1. 
   
   9. Submittal of a follow-up compliance audit of the Los Osos Water Conservation Rebate Program. District 2. 
   
   
   http://agenda.slocounty.ca.gov/agenda/sanluisobispo/Proposal.html?select=4505
   

Sewer With A View

(Click on each image for larger view.)

I took the fascinating tour of our sewer-in-process Tuesday and was amazed at the scope of it (especially the treated water ponds-to-be), and just how cool it looks in its still-raw state. There was a pretty good crowd, but as I missed the last tour, I can't compare numbers. I kept people out of the shots in case they did not want to be seen on a sewer blog (but I know who some of you are)!

Here are scans of the front and back of the hand-out:

There will be six or seven people working here once it is up and running. The water shown in the oxidation ditch being tested for leaks came from rain! I was out of town for that event, but apparently 2.5" fell in one day and it was pumped into the tank from the collection basins, hence the brown look on the bottom of the one on the left, that is 3" of silt. 

The large green areas on the handout "front" are the ponds, the large one for recycled water, the small one for stormwater. They will be lined with a plastic called Hypalon©.

Sludge will likely go to Santa Maria, to Engel & Gray.

I'm not altogether sure I can identify what pix I took by name other than a couple of buildings. So here's what we saw on the tour. You will have to imagine the hefty wind blowing to get more of the actual experience.

Administration Building

Recycled Water Storage Pond

Stormwater Retention Pond

Secondary Clarifier (front), Oxidation Ditch (rear)

Electrical Building

A nice contrast between the old and the new......

Sewer Pond Stench

Well, things don't go perfectly sometimes. Brewery sludge was added to the tank-rinse ponds to speed up the process of breaking down the organic matter more quickly to dissipate the....hefty....s-m-e-l-l. Firestone Walker Brewing Company's air will soon be as tasty as its products....hopefully.

One wonders had the original Tri-W project been realized (although there was never enough land to do it), if there would have a similar problem, although the content would have been of a different organic nature...... The second project, the underground one, would have been fine, as the air was sucked in and not released. Our current project...who knows? It is out of town. We will have to ask the neighbors what they experience in a year or so.

Read about Firestone here:
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/03/27/3559276/paso-robles-stink-firestone-brewery.html

SF's Rap Sewer Video!

San Francisco's Sewer Department has put out a rap video. You HAVE to see this! Seriously!

http://www.sfwater.org/index.aspx?page=915

"I tell you no one takes more crap than I do

I know, you wash you poop you pee"