Press Release: South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District Responds to Fine Issued by the Regional Water Quality Control Board

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June 20, 2012

South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District Responds to Fine Issued by the Regional Water Quality Control Board

Contact: Michael Seitz

805 543 7272

The South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District is a special district serving the communities of Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach and Oceano.  The heads of the governing bodies of those agencies sit as the Board of Directors of the Sanitation District.  The District was formed in 1963 and operates a wastewater treatment plant as well as three trunk sewers which are tributary to the treatment plant located near the Oceano Airport.  The plant has a capacity of five million gallons per day (5 MGD) and the current flow is 2.7 MGD. The District has received a notice of a fine from the Regional Water Quality Control Board which the District believes is inaccurate and unjustified.

Following is a statement from the District issued June 20, 2012

The South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District is sincerely disappointed that this isolated spill from a December 2010 storm incident could not have been amicably resolved, and vehemently disagrees with the excessive fine being proposed by the Water Board's Prosecution Team that will be charged against its ratepayers.   In December of 2010, a fierce winter storm led to serious flooding in Oceano along with resulting emergency declarations and evacuation orders. This unusual flood event triggered the District’s first sewer spill in more than 25 years. Due to high water entering the electrical system, the pumps in the treatment plant shut down, creating the spill.   Since the incident, the District has implemented a number of improvements to the plant and its protocols to prevent future problems.   While it was anticipated that the Water Board would fine the District for this accidental spill, the excessive dollar amount exceeding $1.3 million is unfair, is based on flawed Water Board calculations and methodology, and is drastically inconsistent with fines levied in other communities for similar types of events.  The District plans to dispute the proposed fine and to appeal to the Regional Water Board to make a more rational and fair decision.