Sewer Delinquents Mark Your Calendars! Plus Rebates!

I have been a tardy blogger of late, but am back in time to warn tardy payers they could be caught forking over delinquent service charges. Please read!

Items: Set for Hearing:

2. Setting of a public hearing to consider collecting of sewer service charges onproperty tax bills for San Luis Obispo County Wastewater Assessment DistrictNo. 1, Los Osos. Hearing date set for July 18, 2017. District 2.
   
3. Setting of a public hearing to consider collecting delinquent service charges onthe 2017-18 County property tax bills for San Luis Obispo County WastewaterAssessment District No. 1, Los Osos. Hearing date set for July 18, 2017. District 2. 
   

Consent Agenda - Public Works Items:

31. Submittal of a resolution amending and establishing ongoing rebates for the Water Conservation Implementation Plan for the Los Osos Wastewater Project. District 2. 

Los Osos Sewer History 2007

I accidentally ran across this video today from 10 years ago. I had never seen it before and at the time of my watching it there has been only 43 views. First a loud beep over SMPTE color bars, then experience the laid back music under text, the Sewer Dragon lady, and clips from one of the Central Coast's Regional Water Quality Control Board's Cease and Desist hearings, for the dreaded CDOs.

 

Prague's Museum Of Chamber Pots, Etc.

Darn. It wasn't on the tour and I did not do my homework. I missed the The Hygiene Museum when I was in Prague. Oh well, have a look, sorry I could not bring you more!

http://muzeumnocniku.cz/en/home/

Finally, The Hook-Up!

Mid-April-ish, strange paint markings appeared in the street and in the yard. Rumor has it a permit was pulled....

Now, in May, we are a month plus past the time to hook up to the sewer. We are in Phase III and the San Luis Obispo Tribune has already had an article about "those" people who have not yet hooked up to the sewer. Well, rainy weather, contractors dropping out, and who knows what else, delayed our getting started after paying our deposit in October 2016.

I ignored my cell buzzing as I was stuffing my face with lunch at La Palapa. Suddenly apparently, the lateral crew was at our house and digging a hole in the front yard to try to find the pipe coming out of the house. There is a kitchen on one side, two bathrooms and the washing machine on the other. 

Then there was the picture from the county website showed two septic tanks. Why two tanks? We don't know. One giant hole has uncovered a pipe and a concrete tank, but what is that other blob on the county's image? When I questioned the worker, the response was: "We are going to use a water probe to go deeper" to look for that second tank. (Must look up the term, "water probe.")

Then there was the ugly white plastic pipe with the cap which I artfully covered by a lava rock planter, empty of its Bonsai tree, dead 35 years ago. I now learn that this is the cap to the leach field. And below that that is the blob apparently.

The original concrete bin IS the septic tank. To think I sat on top of it all comfy in an adirondack chair, munching a turkey sandwich never imagining it would, after some processing and transformation, traverse piping to wind up a few feet below where I sat. I know, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, but the gooey part in the middle....ugh.

Now the question was to find the pipe coming from the north side of the house that handles the two bathrooms and the washing machine. The kitchen pipe is elsewhere.

There was a joint where the two pipes came together. But the angle of the main pipe was wrong. It wasn't going to work! The entire pipe had to be removed and replaced! Well, that went rather quickly. Below is the end result.

Then the new, white pipe went under the fence and out to the stubbed pipe that comes from the street.

It was hard to get a decent shot without falling into the hole.

*************************************************************************************************

Tonight, after dinner, it was time to shower, then flush and forget.

The inspector is supposed to come tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

Morro Bay's Sewer Plod Lampooned By Shredder

Well, Los Osos is not the only local town to have had a sewage problem, and not just literally, as in leaking pipes, but in that striking lack of action one could equate to clogged plumbing be it hairballs, or one's personal, blocked alimentary canal. The New Times brilliant and snarky wit-meister, the Shredder, takes Morro Bay to task this time, offering some verbal Dulcolax.

Have a fun read, as long as you are not eating. (Pooping is permissible, but that is a matter of taste.)

http://www.newtimesslo.com/shredder/15325/whats-brown-and-runs-downhill/

Sewer Poster

For those of you readers who are part of sewer inspection crews and wishing to inform/decorate your workplace with a sewer safety poster (not that we would have this problem with our tiny sewer pipes, but then I have not seen a wet well/pump station, so maybe we do need this poster), go to this link:
http://inbound.envirosight.com/confined-space-safety-poster

According to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics, 50 workers average per year die in confined spaces. That is pretty creepy and we sure do NOT want that happening here!

Tribune's Dr. Alexander Obituary

Today's Tribune had an obituary for Dr. John Alexander, which much improved on the teeny death notice in the paper on March 7 that announced his death on March 2, 2017. I wrote about his passing here:
http://losewersaga.blogspot.com/2017/03/dr-john-alexander-alexander-dies.html

Check out the much amplified version of his life with his many accomplishments. Los Osos was not mentioned. I suspect his involvement with our sewage woes was but a small blip in his long life:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sanluisobispo/obituary.aspx?n=john-alexander-alexander&pid=185180539

These death notices do not last long online, so best to check this out in the next couple of weeks.

Celebrate Easter With Homemade Poop Peeps!

....Or not. Especially if you do not celebrate Easter.

Here take a look, you could really use these things year-round, say to gift a neighbor who has made you crazy with noisy parties and the like! These are so darn cute - see the photos on the link below!

💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 💩 

http://nomageddon.com/poop-peeps/

Humanure Handbook

💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩

For your reading pleasure, I have found this gem of a webpage, complete with music ("My Dad's Dunny Doesn't Flush") and a how-to book which you can purchase to learn how to "recycle" certain of your bodily products. There are even videos to tell you how to do it! 

This is not about a composting toilet - but a "collection device" as the composting is done elsewhere.......... There is a bounty of information here, and you could spend days picking through all of these piles of knowledge.

All of this would be illegal in Los Osos, but it is fun to fantasize, as long as fantasy aromas do not spoil your "brown study."

http://humanurehandbook.com

Watch where you step.

Town's Sewage Plant Hosts Giant Viruses!

Sewage from the Austrian town Klosterneuburg, where Franz Kafka died, is fueling a scientific controversy. I'm not sure how excited to get over the giant viruses found there and Franz Kafka is probably not a topic for a sewer blog. But with our sewer plant running smoothly, and still no sign of hooking my house up which will yield a bounty of photos and descriptions, I had to go somewhere. 

Kafka did have tuberculosis and who knows, if the sewer in that town was operational then (1924), what could have happened in the mixing of multi-viral and bacterial components is unknowable. It is an interesting thought anyway, if one doesn't linger on it beyond three seconds.

All of the excitement is about a genome that looks like it could have descended from some cell-like virus - some in-between state between cells and viruses, which is a big deal in the scientific world. Now, as all of you might recall, viruses have few genes, some with as little as two. E-coli, a single-cell bacteria found at sewage plants, can have 4,400 genes and comes in many types, some, when internalized, can lead to death (Kafka died of starvation however). These giant viruses can hold more than 2,500 genes!

If you want to read about this, you can go to this link here:
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/04/giant-viruses-found-austrian-sewage-fuel-debate-over-potential-fourth-domain-life
There are some lovely virus renderings on this page to illustrate scale.

I did go to the Kafka bookstore while in Prague a couple of years back, the city where Kafka was born, the bookstore being very near to his birthplace (sign translation - Kafka Bookstore).

And while I did not get the chance to visit the Prague sewer system, it is quite old and you can read about it here:

http://www.pvs.cz/en/history/history-of-the-sewer-systems/

You can see inside here:

prague sewers

Come to think about it now, this odd nexus of Kafka and giant sewer viruses (I'll have to relate what was said about viruses and our sewer some years back to complete this picture I guess), if there was ever an author living or dead that could have summarized the hideous Los Osos sewer war in a deep and meaningful way, Franz Kafka would be my pick. Please read The Metamorphosis and The Castle. Or if you prefer, a Cliff's Notes assessment,

"No matter how hard Kafka's heroes strive to come to terms with the universe, they are hopelessly caught, not only in a mechanism of their own contriving, but also in a network of accidents and incidents, the least of which may lead to the gravest consequences."

https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/t/the-trial/critical-essays/kafka-and-existentialism 

Sweater Poop (Sad Story, So Don't Read If Depressed)

This is a sad posting. Coyote scat is usually not so colorful. If you click on the image to see the larger size, you will see the bright yarn, probably from a little sweater, probably covering a little body, most likely that of a little dog, or possible a cat (but not likely) embedded in the scat. Coyotes do not eat sweaters without something inside of them.

I wavered on posting this. I don't know how many readers there are here, so don't know if this will go anywhere. But when a couple of my cats vanished years ago when I first moved here, having no clue on the coyote population, I would have wanted to know what happened to them.

This was found on State Park land, off the end of Santa Ysabel, on the path that heads to the eucalyptus trees, Saturday, April 1. It had been there for some time. 

Purple Pipe Hydrant

Well, it is back in our midst. The bacteria laden, butt ugly, and foul smelling water that we have sent underground and out of town for its spa treatment - beautification and toxin removal - has returned not just to Broderson, but right here in our midst - on Tenth Street!

Who owns it? Ostensibly the water companies. Who paid for it? We did. What paperwork, legalities and hoop jumping must there be to open the spigot - to maybe send this water back home and underground into our sparkly clean, repurposed septic tanks? It is the next part of the sewer journey for this H2O. 

Let's hope the story unfolds quickly, as this rainy season won't last, spring is coming, summer - if we are lucky, might be a foggy drip, but by fall, our repurposed tanks might be empty. Our plants would be happy to get this stuff. Then the aquifer's water could be used for indoor water needs only, thereby saving it from some amount of overuse.

Our titled (22!), regal water languishes inside of its purple prison! Mary Queen of Scots all over again, with a better ending, I hope.

Another Toilet To Tap Brewski!

I first encountered beer outside of a TV screen, at a late age; I was a protected child. When I did see it in real life, I noticed that what went in, came out the same color. Amazing! But now, for the second time that I have found, that toilet water is cycling through human plumbing systems for another round. Actually, it could go on for more rounds than that, depending on the location of the receiving facilities, post imbibement: in this case, San Diego!

Escondido, California's Stone Brewing Company is the newest craft brewing company to use recycled water. It is coming from San Diego's Pure Water Facility. Granted, they made only five barrels of beer, but they hope to make it available to the public in the future. A toast to another successful "toilet to tap" operation!

Couldn't we upgrade our most-famous-sewer-in-the-world just one more step and make beer too? We already have well known branding for it! We could call the product SRF Suds, or Stout from the Magic Sand Brewing Company, or even Lo$ O$o$ Lager if we wanted to create a top shelf product! Well, think about it anyway.

Board of Supes Agenda 3-21-17 Sewer Item!

At last! Something sewer for us Los Osians on the next BOS agenda!

AGENDA March 21, 2017

County Government Center

Board of Supervisors Chambers

1055 Monterey Street | San Luis Obispo, CA 93408 

Tuesday, March 21, 2017 

0. Consent Agenda - Parks & Recreation Items:
   
   
1. 15. Request to authorize a budget adjustment in the amount of $35,000 from Parks Reserves to Fund Center (FC) 30504 Parks Projects to complete the mandated Los Osos Community Park Sewer Connection, by 4/5 vote. District 2. 
   

Here are the relevant attachments!

http://agenda.slocounty.ca.gov/agenda/sanluisobispo/Proposal.html?select=7151

I hope this looks like the no-brainer that it is and that it will be approved 5-0.

Sewer Service Charges Explained!

I have been a dork for not following up on this - I'm sure it was posted ages ago on the County's website and it must have gone before the Board of Supes, too. Perhaps I was in Iceland, where I neglected a lot of things sewer as they were happening.

(Click images for larger sizes.)

Well, have a look. The sewer service charges are explained on the link below - even the separate billing anomaly that caused such a stir last month at LOCAC! Actually, we are still waiting to hook up, so that is another reason I have not written about this. We have no operating and maintenance charge yet on our bill.

http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/Assets/PW/LOWWP/document+library/Proposed+Service+Charges+Ordinance.pdf

In case you were wondering about Iceland, they have sewage problems too! I tried to find the time to see a sewage plant, and I was in Akureyri too (see article), but alas, while on a tour, your time is booked from 8:00 a.m. until dinner.

http://icelandreview.com/news/2012/12/21/problems-sewage-across-iceland

I was in downtown Reykjavík and missed this. Darn!

http://grapevine.is/news/2016/03/31/open-sewage-pit-in-downtown-reykjavik/

You would never know this was happening though. The place is Disneyland clean everywhere, and they have water by the ton, which helps.

This looks sewage plant-like, but it is just pipes harvesting steam for power.

This looks sewage-like, but it was actually clean, slightly minerally-tasting, carbonated water. Yes, bubble water coming out of the ground!!

Dr. John Alexander Alexander Dies

The Tribune had a small death notice in the March 7, 2017 paper: 

John Alexander Alexander, 99 of Cayucos died March 2, 2017.

Dr. Alexander was famous during the Los Osos Sewer Wars for stating that we did not need a sewer.

 "...if anyone could help me it would be Dr. Alexander. His research and development firm had developed waste water treatment plants throughout the world, including Australia, Israel and South America, just to name a few. Dr. Alexander advised me that he would be willing to help us in any way he could. However, he said before he would advise us that Los Osos really did not need a sewer. He proceeded to explain in great detail why Los Osos did not need a sewer plant. The crux of his explanation was that Los Osos had a God-given filtration plant built right into its soil."

http://www.rockofthecoast.com/2009/11/24/cdo-threat-exacts-heavy-human-toll-on-los-osos/

Yes, he was the original magic sand guy!

His business is described below, retrieved 3-8-17:

"Ecm Technical Environmental Services, Inc. filed as an Articles of Incorporation in the State of California and is no longer active. This corporate entity was filed approximately twenty-seven years ago on Tuesday, July 17, 1990 , according to public records filed with California Secretary of State."

https://www.corporationwiki.com/California/Cudahy/ecm-technical-environmental-services-inc/42002702.aspx

Learn more here:
http://www.abalonefarm.com/the-abalone-farm-and-artisan-restaurant-featured-in-the-novdec16-issue-of-california-bountiful/

http://www.californiabountiful.com/features/article.aspx?arID=1856

—and see some photos here:
http://www.oldmorrobay.com/john_alexander.html

He applied to the County sewer project's Technical Advisory Committee in 2007, but was not selected. His credentials are still online:
http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/Assets/PW/LOWWP/TAC/alexander.pdf

RIP sewer warrior. I was on the opposite side of his stance of course, but found him to be a compelling figure.

Sewer Office Hours Being Flushed.

I haven't been on the County Los Osos Wastewater Project website in ages, but for some reason went there tonight. Well, I guess since the decommissioning septic tanks part of the project was 80% complete a month ago - and more by now - this announcement was bound to happen - below is a copy and paste:

Questions? 

Representatives from the County are available to answer questions from residents and businesses regarding sewer lateral connections for their property, project costs and financial assistance, and answer any other issues related to the Los Osos Wastewater Project.

Meet with County staff during bi-weekly office hours at 2025 10th Street in Los Osos each Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.  The last day of bi-weekly office hours in Los Osos will be on Thursday, March 16, 2017.

Or; 

Contact the County at (805) 788-2759 or email rheaslet@co.slo.ca.us with comments or questions.

Or; 

 The Public Works Department office in San Luis Obispo is open Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  The Public Works Department is located in Room 206 of the old Courthouse building, at 976 Osos Street, on the corner of Palm and Osos Streets in San Luis Obispo.

You can see the rest of the stuff on the page here:

http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/PW/LOWWP.htm

Poop Problem In Outer Space - Solved!

We may think that we had a poop problem here in Los Osos with our 40-odd year sewer war. But in outer space, real outer space, not just the outer space feeling we had from experiencing our sewer war, there is a different, and more deadly, challenge - battling poop in space - specifically, the poop inside of a space suit that must be worn for days at a time. 

NASA posed the question here:

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/space-poop-challenge

The deadline to present an answer to the problem was December 20, 2016. The winner and runners-up were just announced:
http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/16/tech/nasa-space-poop-challenge-winner-announced-trnd/index.html

Another poop problem - SOLVED! (And thanks NASA, for the use of your photograph!)

London's Super Sewer

Look at this monster project, that will relieve the pollution that London is spewing into the Thames River! (NOT their drinking water source* like our water clean-up project was.) Did this project take 40 years of citizen angst and pushback to come to fruition? NO! The initial study began in 2001! 2001 people! Amazingly, from our frame of reference in Los Osos, their project started construction in 2016 and will take 7 to 8 years to complete. The cost is £4.2 billion in 2012 prices.

The informative videos off the link below are fascinating. What is it about sewer projects that brings out the most lovely musical accompaniments to their videos? Our sewer video musical score was lovely too!

I suggest that if you don't have time to watch all of the videos, set the option to "Autoplay next video"on the last video off the link - if you expand the videos (option on the bottom) to 5 years ago, I'm not so sure there is music as I found the sound on the really old ones to not operate. Listen to the music while you are clearing out your "In box" or something. Be sure to listen to the end on at least one of them to hear the adorable seagull squawk which moves across your speaker, left to right. 

https://vimeo.com/tideway

(This one is my first favorite: https://vimeo.com/176721510, and this one is my second favorite: https://vimeo.com/174194088)

(Don't you love the British spelling of tons? Tonnes! Much more fun, but confusing to know how to pronounce.)

* The Thames River IS a drinking water source, but upstream from London.

Julie & Jeff's Sewer Credit Hanky Panky

Well, so much for warm, fuzzy stories to start off the new year! 

An excellent cold, jagged story just broke today on the business principles of Los Osos' most infamous couple, Julie Tacker and Jeff Edwards. Please have a look at SLO Truth's article posted here:

https://www.slotruth.org/2017/01/26/julie-tacker-and-jeff-edwards-activists-or-con-artists/

If convicted, and if still on committees of the Los Osos Community Services District, I would like to them removed from those committees, which are Emergency Services Committee for Julie, and the Finance Advisory Committee for Jeff.