SAFE, CLEAN, AFFORDABLE OPPORTUNITIES

Do you want clean, safe drinking water? Do you want a perpetual supply of clean, fresh drinking water? Do you want to place your family, friends and community in dangerous peril of serious illness and death caused by deadly pathogens? Do you want to subject your environment to the inevitable, deadly peril of contamination? Do you want to sacrifice your Freedom so a determined few can prosper?

If you answered “Yes” to the first two questions and “No” to the last three, then you are opposed to the unaffordable, unnecessary central sewer system in Los Osos, and you are a protector of Freedom.

Responsible national and international health and health-related organizations have virtually condemned the construction of new central sewers in favor of on-site septic and cluster plant systems. In the mid-1990s the USEPA joined the effort to encourage people to abandon central sewers in favor of on-site and Cluster systems where possible.

Over the past 15 to 20 years technology has made on-site and cluster systems the safest, cleanest, healthiest and most affordable means to treat and recycle waste water. An on-site septic or cluster system is easily monitored, easily maintained and most economically efficient.

With current technology wastewater is safely recycled and can be used for washing machines, dishwashers and more, and black water can be made safe for irrigation. This can be done at little or no additional cost to homeowners.

In addition to concerns over safe, affordable wastewater treatment is the worldwide dwindling supply of fresh drinking water. Those attempting to force the vaccine-resistant, deadly pathogen-producing factory on Los Osos have repeatedly told us that the project will protect and preserve our drinking water.

In fact, a central sewer will not offer any protection or preservation of our drinking water. To the contrary, it will exacerbate the problem. Central sewers are notorious for spilling hundreds of thousands of gallons of contaminated water into the groundwater and surrounding waterways every year.

Los Osos is situated in a small area flanked to the west by the Pacific Ocean and Morro Bay and to the north, south and east by agriculture and open spaces. One spill of contaminated sewage will infiltrate into vast areas of our groundwater, endangering large portions of our nature sanctuaries and the animals that live and make their living there while placing our clean water on a head-on collision course of deadly contamination.

The ominous danger to public health and safety of a contaminated wastewater spill will become a day-to-day risk. Californians live on the edge of tectonic plates and a number of fault lines. We face the reality and inevitability of a killer earthquake each and every day.

With a central sewer, the community of Los Osos, its beautiful nature habitats, its wildlife and environment will face the daily inevitable reality of awakening to a deadly sewage spill; the inevitability of being told you cannot use your water because it is contaminated; the inevitability of being forced to pay millions of dollars to clean up the mess, only to be placed back in a holding position waiting for the next spill.

It’s not just the costs in clean-up and the hundreds of thousands of dollars in mandatory fines that the community will have to pay that is the issue, or even the loss of hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of gallons of clean water. The most serious consequences that pose the greatest threats are the deadly health issues caused by the deadly pathogens that will be unleashed through the water and air.

Because the concerns for health and safety, as well as for supplies of fresh, safe water, are so great the federal USEPA has changed some requirements and regulations and broadened the accessibility of communities and individual property owners to secure Grants and low-interest loans to upgrade or install an on-site septic system, a water recycling unit and other fresh, clean-water-related items and services.

These federal policies are mandatory for states to continue to receive federal funds. All states have to make these financial opportunities available to all communities and qualified property owners in their states. It’s up to the community to be informed and demand they do so.

For many years there have been California Water Code (CWC) laws that provide for a number of grant and low-interest loan programs to communities, some to individual home and business owners, for on-site septic system repair, upgrade or replacement as well as for viable water preservation projects.

Some individual grants are accessible by people with a 501 c (3). There is one program that has a ceiling of $5,000,000 per grant and is available for a limited number of 501 c (3) applicants each year.

A successful Los Osos R.I.C.O. Civil Action will empower Los Osos residents to pressure the county in to relinquishing its ill-gotten control over community wastewater and water issues and return it to the hands of a newly-elected, responsible LOCSD Board.

Once having done that, the LOCSD would be able to implement a sensible, affordable On-Site Maintenance Program that would begin with mandatory inspections of all on-site and cluster systems and Leach Fields in Los Osos. Any system or leach field found to be in need of repair, upgrade or replacement would be so ordered.

To assist any who are unable to afford some or all of the costs, the LOCSD would be able to apply for appropriate grants and low-interest loans to help defray or eliminate the costs of repairs, upgrades and replacements of on-site septic systems community-wide, making the costs little or nothing to each property owner.

There are provisions in the law requiring the RWQCB to help financially with individual repair or replacement of on-site systems and other water projects. Until now they have deliberately prevented the community from knowing about these programs. A successful R.I.C.O. Civil Action will open those doors.

FRESH DRINKING WATER

If all on-site and cluster systems are working properly, the preservation of fresh drinking water will be assured. However, the supply depends on two things: Mother Nature and recycling.

Recycling is already an inexpensive reality. There are many cost-effective devices available that allow each property owner to recycle both the gray and black water. The RWQCB is charged with doing all it can to protect and preserve our water. By lifting certain locally imposed restrictions and allowing the use of tried, tested technology, millions of gallons of Los Osos water would be saved and recycled each year.

Clean, plentiful supplies of fresh drinking water are supplied by rainfall. We don’t need to import any water. There are systems available that allow each home owner to be virtually free from their water company, systems that provide more than enough safe, clean water each year while savings hundreds, even thousands of dollars.

For a nominal investment, a family of four could install a 500-gallon cistern that collects rain water and allows for replenishing, when necessary, through conventional water supplies. These cisterns include a purifying system that safely and economically removes all impurities.

When this fresh water system is included on the property with a properly functioning on-site wastewater system each household and business will take a giant leap towards helping to protect and save valuable water resources and guarantee safe, fresh, affordable water in perpetuity at little or no cost to property owners.

BENEFITS: With properly functioning on-site systems and the addition of current water recycling technology, everyone wins. With a monitored on-site system there is no danger of any deadly health or safety issues; no negative ecological or economic consequences; no danger of fresh water contamination. With the addition of applicable appliances there is no wasting of water resources.

With properly working on-site systems, intelligently planned community growth can be safely encouraged and achieved. With the addition of a fresh-water recycling system a supply of fresh, safe drinking water is guaranteed in perpetuity. Without the concerns and dangers of a central sewer the safe and healthy protection of our wildlife and environment is guaranteed.

The law prohibits the State or Regional Water Boards from having any authority over your property as long as your on-site system is not returning excess nitrate and other pollutants into the ground water. With properly working and monitored on-site systems you will be free from any further interference.

WHAT ABOUT THE GROUNDWATER?

If the groundwater issues are not addressed, some of the on-site systems will not be able to function properly and contamination will still be an issue.

In the late 1970s, complaints were being voiced over the annual flooding around the Bay and offensive stench emanating from wastewater that was flowing through the streets. The cause was identified as excessively high levels of groundwater exacerbated by annual rain fall.

The RWQCB recommended the County survey all of the water tables in Los Osos, especially around the Bay and low-lying areas and, where applicable, pump down the groundwater.

It is common knowledge that leach fields will not function properly if the groundwater around them is too high. By pumping down the groundwater where necessary, the leach fields can properly and safely remove the nitrates and other pollutants from wastewater, thereby returning safe, clean water to the environment.

As was their usual response to the needs of Los Osos, the County chose to do nothing, so the annual flooding, contamination and dangers to public health and safety continued to prosper.

During the Total Recall effort in 2002, Bruce Buel of the LOCSD and Gerhardt Hubner of the RWQCB contrived extravagant, inflated scenarios pumped up by fictional, inflated costs in order to deceive the community into believing the cost of pumping down the groundwater would not be economically viable.

They also told Los Osos that it would probably not be allowed by the RWQCB. This, despite the fact, that it was the RWQCB who, in the late 1970s, strongly urged the County to do just that.

In their presentation of deception, Buel and Hubner said that one of the most expensive, ongoing costs would be the purification of the groundwater necessary before being allowed to be pumped into the Bay.

After reading the contrived fiction, Tom Salmon and Budd Sanford, leaders of the Total Recall, met with Dr. John Alexander and posed appropriate questions to him regarding costs and options.

The first area of inquiry was the inflated costs created by Hubner and Buel. Dr. Alexander pointed out that the initial costs would primarily be for the purification plant, water pipes and, if the community desired, storage tanks for clean water.

The purification plant would be no larger than a small house with an estimated cost of between $1 million and $2 million. Piping costs would depend on what to do with the groundwater.

Dr. Alexander suggested a solution that would have significant environmental and financial benefits to both the agricultural community and Los Osos. Free Los Osos groundwater could be pumped to the farmers to be used for irrigation. In exchange, Los Osos would tap into its lower aquifers where fresh, clean water resides.

This system would provide cost-free, nitrogen-rich water for crops and clean, fresh water for Los Osos. The initial costs would be insignificant compared to just the first year forced costs of the central sewer.

Each farmer would pay some or all of the initial costs to install one incoming pipe and a valve system to accommodate the flow of the groundwater. A second pipe would be installed that would connect to the individual lower aquifers. Those costs would be born by Los Osos.

Since there are a number of federal and state grant programs available, the costs to both the farmer and the community would be little or nothing.

The community could elect to build one or more large water storage tanks for emergency use or simply decide to just tap into the fresh water when needed. The excess groundwater water would be inexpensively treated then pumped into the Bay.

Ongoing maintenance costs would be nest to nothing as it would not require a large staff to maintain the pumping and treatment station. Each farmer would be responsible for the upkeep of his or her individual pipeline.

The agricultural community would benefit in savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in water costs. Those savings could be passed along to the consumer in less expensive produce.

The community of Los Osos benefits in a low-cost treatment of excess groundwater, a perpetual access to clean, fresh drinking water, eliminating the necessity of having to import or ration water, the elimination of health and safety issues from contaminated wastewater flowing through the streets, and the safe disposal of treated, unused groundwater into the Bay.

The partnership of a safe groundwater pumping and exchange program with an intelligent, vigilant monitoring program of all on-site systems guarantees a safe, healthy and affordable future for all Los Osos.

A PROFITABLE BONUS TO LOS OSOS

In addition to an economically viable partnership between Los Osos and the agriculture community, an opportunity to use more of our excess groundwater for a profitable business is also available.

In conversations with Dr. Alexander, Salmon and Sanford learned of the high demand for certain fish species around the world for food. China, India and other nations import millions of tons of fish each year.

Dr. Alexander suggested Los Osos purchase approximately 200 acres along Los Osos Valley Road and install a fish hatchery. Dr. Alexander has prior experience and offered his engineering design team to plan and oversee construction. He also offered to help with introducing Los Osos to some of the necessary business contacts for selling the fish.

In addition to a working fish hatchery for exporting fish, a portion of the plant would be set aside for additional recreation income. Groups and individuals would pay to fish. An area would be included to accommodate picnics and special events as well.

The combined revenues from the international fish and recreation businesses would contribute a few million dollars per year to the benefit of Los Osos. After a small percentage to cover expenses of the hatchery, the balance could be used to benefit the community in a number of ways.

A fish hatchery would be a sound, safe economical use of land and water, a profitable venture for the community and a guaranteed safe, economical way to protect the environment while continuing to guarantee a perpetual supply of fresh, clean water for Los Osos.