Septic Tank Quad System

From the 'burbs of Cleveland, July 2015: 

This is what a septic system looks like on a two acre parcel. I will protect the owner of the property by calling him Mr. X. He very generously gave me a septic tank tour and it was quite different from anything that I had seen before. I suspect out in the 'burbs, on a large chunk of land, you will find different systems from what we, in tiny-lotville, could possibly have. (You may click on any of these images to enlarge them.)

Pictured above are three of the four chambers of this system. The contents flow from the first through fourth chambers, the water becoming progressively cleaner as it advances. I am standing on the first, underground tank, to take this photograph. Pictured below is the unseen underground first chamber which receives the output from the house: sinks, tubs/showers, laundry, toilets.

The lid to the second chamber, above and below.

Mr. X kindly lifter the concrete lid to the second, visible chamber. 
No noxious aromas wafted forth.

Pictured below is the concrete lid to the third chamber.

Mr. X lifted the lid to the third chamber. Again, no fumes.

Below is the concrete lid to the fourth and final chamber.

Below, the lid opened, reveals some sort of attached mechanism. I forgot to ask what it was. A pump perhaps? This final phase water drains out into piping in the woods. Whatever nitrates or other components are left are sucked up by the vegetation to which the water flows.

Below, you are looking back at the one invisible and three visible tank lids. The forest is maybe another 20 feet behind me where the water eventually goes.

The forest into which the reclaimed water is received. It was pretty darn green I'll have to say; but then it actually rains in the Cleveland 'burbs—a lot this past year.

For fun and refreshment, please don't take this as a depressing tease to the parched Californians, what you see is the lake in the front yard, stocked with bass of some sort. Just enjoy a sight that we are longing to see. We could move to the Cleveland 'burbs to escape the drought if we really wanted to.....and have a nice two-acre parcel with a small lake and lots of fluffy, green trees, that you actually don't need to water.....

Thanks to Mr. X for the septic system tour!

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"

ARB On BOS Closed Session..........Again

Tuesday, March 24, 2015 

Closed Session Items:

18. PENDING LITIGATION (Gov. Code, section 54956.9.) It is the intention of the Board to meet in closed session concerning the following items: Conference with Legal Counsel-Existing Litigation (Gov. Code, section 54956.9(a).) (Formally initiated) 1. ARB, Inc. v. County of San Luis Obispo; 

It will be interesting to see how long this remains on the agenda!

A Warped Blast From The Past

From May, 2004 (click image for larger size):

I uncovered a piece of Los Osos' sewer history lately. Sadly, this was the level of discourse from some who held a deep and truthless opposition to the Tri-W sewer, or actually any sewer, as this group clearly felt that we did not need one. It looks like the word "alleged" made them feel that there could be no legal backlash. 

Thankfully, this sort of opposition was crushed by reason and the County taking back the sewer project. While sewer plans were moving ahead, this group's money had obviously run short and these expensive rantings were no longer mailed out, but were confined to a website that finally withered itself to death a couple of years back. There is only a light and lingering anti-sewer stench left from the much diminished fringe.

BOS Supports LOWWP Environmental Work!

Tuesday, March 17, 2015, at the Board of Supervisors' meeting, Item 17, passed 5-0 in favor of granting the contract for an environmental consulting group to do the necessary work mandated by the Coastal Development Permit, Condition 3. This condition called for a Habitat Management Plan to provide mitigation to the wastewater project's unavoidable impacts to environmentally sensitive areas. Special condition B3 of the HMP requires that mitigations must occur while the project is being constructed by qualified restoration ecologists. This 5-year contract is specific for work on the 80 acres of Broderson, the Midtown site, Giacomazzi wetlands and the three pump stations which are now at the restoration stage. The contract was awarded to Kevin Merk Associates, LLC of Los Osos (the lowest bid and "...the best combination of issue expertise, local experience, value and local presence.").

An overview of the sewer project was presented by Project Manager John Waddell and Environmental Programs Manager Kate Ballantyne. We had a fuller version of this at our Town Hall presentation at the Middle School on February 25, but this one hit the highlights of that meeting, with a scaled down 90-second video where we got 4+ minutes.

This day marked the one-year anniversary of starting construction on the plant out of town, and is also the point of about one year from start-up of the plant.

Other points: We received $21.6 million in grants; part of Broderson is infected with veldt grass imported to Los Osos in the 1940s; Kevin Merk will prepare the reports to the Coastal Commission; the California Conservation Corp will do the weeding of Broderson; 50 acres of Broderson is in good shape, restoration will focus on the 8-acre infiltration area, the 4-acres above that area, and the 8-acres below.

During Public Comment some concerns were:

Q -  Where was all the seepage going to go when the emptying of the septic tanks begins?

A -  Some of the seepage will go into the new plant, but not all. The County is doing planning and outreach to agencies and seepage haulers and will rely on private business to find where it has to go.

Q - The revegetated acres at Broderson will just have to be redone in 5-years.

A -  The water is now tertiary treated water which will extend the life of the field; also, this isn't a leach field but the outflow will be from big infiltration chambers, we will get more than 8-years.

Q - Will the State Water Board lower its interest rate?

A - State Water Board staff asked the County to come back at the end of 2016. 1%, 1/2% and 0% are all on the table.

Q - Ag wasn't interested in the recycled water.

A - Initially no, there were too many unknowns for them, the salts in the water and its availability. When we have an established product and track record they might feel better about it and we will keep approaching them. The water will be of Title 22 quality, suitable for organic, leafy greens.

The usual fear-mongering and angry ranting came up of course from the usual suspects, plus even COLAB's Mike Brown had to chime in with something about the lunacy of public policy, money spent, and public safety regarding veldt grass, which I could not understand. 

The County was slammed for: Using potable water to get the restoration plants started at Broderson and that it was a horrible expense to use container plants there; the Community Garden planned at the Lupine Pump Station was disparaged for its use of fresh water—"if people want a garden they should get their own garden;" "everyone can't afford septic tank repurposing" (it's optional, and duh!); the community itself should pull the weeds at Broderson; there will be price gouging by seepage haulers (get three bids!); 200-300 acre feet of recycled water has no where to go that will benefit the water basin (not true).

Well, those of us eagerly awaiting that first flush into our new system were happy at the report, the speed at which the various project components are coming together, and are confident that KMA will do a good job on the environmental projects. Thanks Supes for getting the next steps rolling!

Next Week BOS ARB Lawsuit On Closed Session...Again

There was no reportable action today on this same item, and I suspect this will go on and on and on and on as so many of these cases do.

Closed Session Items:

18. PENDING LITIGATION (Gov. Code, section 54956.9.) It is the intention of the Board to meet in closed session concerning the following items: Conference with Legal Counsel-Existing Litigation (Gov. Code, section 54956.9(a).) (Formally initiated) 1. ARB, Inc. v. County of San Luis Obispo; (etc).

Monarch Grove Could Hook-Up

The section of Los Osos called Monarch Grove is a subdivision that is not within the urban reserve line of Los Osos. That oversight will be corrected with a General Plan Amendment/Local Coastal Plan Amendment/Estero Area Plan Amendment. The first stop will be a review by LOCAC to discuss any issues or concerns at the local level. Next, it will go to the Board of Supervisors to authorize the County Planning and Building Department to work on this plan amendment. Then the BOS will need to adopt the amendment. 

It is very strange that this sub-division was never included in the Urban Reserve Line!

Why is this important? To back up a bit, Monarch Grove has its own sewage system, and sadly, one that has been plagued with problems over the years. Read about some of that here:

Monarch Grove 2005 - item3_attachment8.pdf


And read the Staff Report for the Enforcement Hearing for October 6, 2005 here:
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralcoast/board_info/agendas/2005/oct6/item3/item3_staff_report.pdf


The treated wastewater from the Monarch Grove housing subdivision's system is currently used to water the nearby golf course, Sea Pines. The Los Osos wastewater treatment plant's Coastal Commission Conditions mandates that water be sent to the golf course as is listed on page 16 (page 19 if you opened it in in Acrobat) of the Effluent Reuse and Disposal Tech Memo, July 2008. However, this is not a problem as it shows that only 16 AFY is going Sea Pines, not enough to water the whole property.

According to the Basin Plan, the golf course currently uses 15-20 acre feet a year from Monarch Grove, still not enough to water the entire property. Water from on-site upper aquifer wells at 75-85 acre feet a year supplements that, totaling 90-105 acre feet a year from both sources to water the golf course.

The Basin Plan has allocated 40 acre feet a year of recycled water for Sea Pines, and the plan is to blend it with their upper aquifer well water 1:1. So the 15-20 AFY from Monarch now is replaced with 40 AFY. So only 50-65 AFY will be used of their upper aquifer well water. As crummy with nitrates as the upper aquifer water is, and despite the fact that 300,000 to 1,000,000 gallons of water leach into the bay DAILY anyway from seeps and springs (.92 AFD - 3.69 AFD), this is a net gain for the basin. 

Once the septics go off line, the water table is bound to lower. That will be a problem for the wastewater team to monitor as part of the conditions of the Coastal Development Permit, Condition #87.

Here is the pre-authorization referral request that is to go before LOCAC, I am not sure when, the March agenda is not out yet.

LRP2014-00021_COUNTY_OF_SLO__MONARCH_GROVE_.pdf


For map geeks, here are links to the County ones from 1997. Monarch Grove sat this point is apparently a remainder parcel of Tract 1589, to be carved up into lots:
https://slocountypwd.org/MapFiles/MB/MB_018/MB_018_032_001.tif
https://slocountypwd.org/MapFiles/MB/MB_018/MB_018_032_002.tif
https://slocountypwd.org/MapFiles/MB/MB_018/MB_018_032_003.tif
https://slocountypwd.org/MapFiles/MB/MB_018/MB_018_032_004.tif
https://slocountypwd.org/MapFiles/MB/MB_018/MB_018_032_005.tif

This moving Monarch Grove into the Urban Reserve Line was on the BOS agenda (among other things) October 5, 2004, Item 11 (after lunch). 
http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/Asset7098.aspx
This item was continued to October 19, 2004. On October 19, the BOS tentatively agreed to include Monarch Grove into the Estero Area Plan Update (see the last page):
http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/Assets/CR/BOS+Minutes/BOS_2004/101904.pdf
But then.......less than a year later.........the sewer project was stopped, Los Osos was left out of the update and here is where we are today.

Monarch Grove does not appear to have an assessment for hooking up (see page 3):
http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/Assets/PW/LOWWP/document+library/Final+Assessment+Roll+-+April+08.pdf

But the Solano Pump Station seems poised to take in Monarch Grove flows (see Page 21):
http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/Assets/PW/LOWWP/document+library/20111024+Final+BODR.pdf

It is a mystery. Much searching found no answer as to why the second half of the subdivision was left out of the Urban Reserve Line, just speculation.

Environmental Consulting Services

An update to the LOWWP on the Tuesday, March 17 agenda of the Board of Supes! This will be addressed after the lunch recess. When the relevant documents are posted, I'll put in a link. 
It appeared today, March 11:
http://agenda.slocounty.ca.gov/agenda/sanluisobispo/Proposal.html;jsessionid=530DBBDADC81C0E6FBE91DD3DDAACEFB?select=4453

Board Business:

17. Update on the Los Osos Wastewater Project; request to approve a professional services agreement for environmental consulting services with Kevin Merk Associates, LLC, for an amount not to exceed $435,992; and authorize the Director of Public Works to sign amendments to the Agreement in an amount not to exceed the contingency amount of $43,599. District 2. 

(BTW, Happy St. Patrick's Day!)

Forum Scoopage All On One Page!

If you missed the sewer forum held at the Los Osos Middle School last week, the County has posted a page with links to all of the relevant materials including the video! And it is a good review for those of us who did attend, there was a lot of material presented and some of us did not visit every table with info. either.

http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/PW/LOWWP/Public_Forum_Meeting_Feb_2015.htm

Drone Song!

The name of the cool song that accompanied the awesome drone movie of our wastewater treatment plant shown at the Sewer Forum on February 25 is, Happiness, and it available for free off this link below!

bensound.com

Project Update January 2015!

Find the info off this link:

http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/AssetFactory.aspx?vid=62370

The photos are great! The scale of this stuff is absolutely breathtaking! Good thing we are recycling all the water that is going to be processed there. And its a little frightening to think just how much water right now is draining out of our septic tanks, into the sand, and down into the bay…somewhere between 300,000 gallons/day to 1 million gallons/day. You know if you pump it out of the lower aquifer to use, and it is lost bayside (once processed through your house and yard, if you water it), you are not recharging your drinking water source…

Sewer Lawsuit On BOS Schedule

Off the Board of Supes Agenda for Tuesday, March 10:

0. Closed Session Items: 

25. PENDING LITIGATION................ 2. ARB, Inc. v. County of San Luis Obispo; 

Looks like some movement on this lawsuit which has been very, very quiet for months. It was originally filed February 26, 2014. 

The Tribune published articles on it March 20, 2014 and April 13, 2014. The gist of ARB's argument is that the County breached the contract between them. The County claims that ARB did not follow the rules.

Needless to say, unless someone blabs, we are unlikely to learn much else until it is over, or over-ish, in case the Court's decision is appealed.

And really, what is the Los Osos sewer project, no matter whose hands it is in, without a lawsuit? Let's not buck tradition here!