The fundamental vulnerability of Cambria could turn out to be our leaders’ determination to control growth. In the long run it may make no difference WHY they are pushing to limit the number of connections (because the Coastal Commission has told Cambria it must mitigate for potentially destructive growth induced by a desal plant. All our eyes have been on desalination and assuring extremely high reliability for our water supply. This focus on desal has kept us from seeing our soft spot clearly. Our Achilles heel may turn out to be something we rarely talk about in polite company: wastewater service.
If I learned anything during last summer’s too close to call rate increase, it’s that water and sewer are separate services provided by the CCSD. Each has their own department and bank account. The most recent rate increase for water and sewer was explicit in keeping the two separate. A protest could be against an increase in water, sewer or both. The first two Prop 218 protests didn’t acknowledge these are two distinct services. Not recognizing there are distinct enterprises is an easy mistake to make, since you get one bill from one district (CCSD) and its kind of all pipes and liquid and mostly taken for granted. Water and wastewater seem inseparable – except for about 100 Cambrians, if a Cambrian has water service, they also have wastewater service.
Here is why this distinction could make all the difference: the wastewater treatment plant isn’t at capacity – not even close, really. While we may not have enough water for additional homes, we can’t really claim we don’t have the capacity or that pipes are not fronting virtually every property in Cambria (with the exception of Liemert). The sewer infrastructure and wastewater treatment plant improvements were paid for with bond and property taxes. In the USA, anyone who pays for a benefit with their taxes must be provided that benefit. There are many lot owners that have paid a share of the funds used for the wastewater treatment. They may be entitled to the benefit.
The problem lays in the fact that CCSD has been using the “we’ve got no water” explanation to deny access and connection to the wastewater system. Since obtaining a will-serve letter is a requirement for requesting a building permit from the County, no one can get a building permit. The second problem is that the CCSD won’t answer the question as to whether or not they will provide sewer service to a property.
One property owner who is not on the CCSD waitlist has spent a lot of time and money trying to get the permits and variances needed to build his home. A recent letter to the Board of Supervisors speaks to the complexity of the issue, but also to the simplicity of it. When sewer service pipelines front a property, that property is required to hook into it (and not have a septic tank or other solution). The planning area standards require water and wastewater service be provided by the CCSD. The letter asks if this standard prevents the use of any other water supply (trucked in, for example.)
Read the full letter from Unclog Cambria here.
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Last 5 posts by Amanda Rice
- Water You Thinking? Panel Discussion of Water Issues Tuesday March 16, 2010
- Bygones Aren't Bygones For Cambria Healthcare District Board, It Seems
- Agenda for Thursday February 25 CCSD Meeting
- Open Invitation to Cambria Potluck Saturday, February 13, 2010 at 4pm
- CCSD Water Master Plan and Related Documents
Interesting. It’s amazing the vocal minority zero-growthers have never understood the importance of the build-out reduction plan which is the only way Cambria can permanantly and legally control the ultimate population. The community has a chance to buy up lots so cheap right now but too many dont want to pay their own way. I assume they think if the building can just be delayed in their lifetime that is good enough for them.Let future generations worry about and pay for it(just like Congress thinks). They can’t possibly and honestly believe the right to build in Cambria ended after their home was built.Let’s get going on buying up the buildable lots while we can.
Americans are all about getting someone else to pay or carry the burden these days.
The complexities of the Unclog lawsuit make it difficult to easily understand the impact to Cambria residents. The bottom line is that they hold potential liability as both SLO county residents and from their financial responsibilites to the CCSD (they are the CCSD’s funding source). The UNCLOG Cambria letter cited above offers a unique way out for the county to their dilema – and it might save the CCSD (read: Cambria residents) unnecessary expenses also. It unfortunately is past the time for Cambrians to realize just how large their liabilty might be if they continue to ignore the facts, but now be the time to wake up. We all must wait to see what happens with the UNCLOG appeal – should the CCSD inform us better about this situation?
If a property does not align with the sewer pipeline, then the county should allow that owner the option of compost toilets. These toilets are remarkable, today, in that they supply a high nitrogen fertilizer from one’s own waste, for the garden. It is quite sustainable, and has been proven to save the pollution levels of Lake Erie, after only ten percent of the population converted over to them. When the SLO permits office was asked by me about their valid inclusion, they claimed that the public wouldn’t go for them due to their clunky look. Well, designs have been streamlined. Our town should lead the way in domestic sustainability. Can we get a sign-up sheet with the wait list?
As far as growth, I think that Cambria can afford to grow up, on Main Street, and there abouts. To have sqwelched the Bicycle Museum at the former Ian’s Restaurant location was a mistake.
On the matter of desal focus, my friend Jim Brownell, a soil consultant and bright man, has suggested that it would be less expensive and more feasible for us to filter the non-potable water for water use, as opposed to sea water. Since most people use water filters and bottled water for their drinking water, anyway, that would make great sense. It would also encourage our town to use better detergents, since the aftermath would be returning to their sink. Now, we must rely upon one’s compassion for the fish, which is sorely delinquent.
Another plan to discourage Cambria’s growth would be to begin a well planned hub of a new village around the area of HWY 46 and HWY One. If the County could begin to re-classify that region, with allowances for the Red Legged Frog habitats, then our village could retain a moratorium or 1% growth cap, even with the new water system.
Flush toilets are for communities with unlimited water supply. Composting toilets make sense for Cambria! Sleek, low-maintenance composting toilets have been available for years. We can be leaders in water conservation and decrease our water bills.
“Composting toilet systems do not require
water for flushing, and thus, reduce
domestic water consumption.”
Are we just too lazy? Incapable? Fearful of taking responsibility for learning to live more simply? Fearful of regulators whose policies promote continued excess?
Amanda and Deryl:
Oral arguments on the UnClog appeal are now set for October 28th, 2009 in Santa Barbara.
After the dust has settled in the reply and opposition briefs, the question before the court comes down to “are we potential users” vs. the new legislative intent of the certified LCP, urban and water master plans. The court rulings in the prior actions were that we were potential users of water and sewer in the prior cases.
The County and the Coastal Commission stated that it was “obvious immediate” that Ordinance 2-2000 closed the wait list only to allow future connections to come from a CCSD wait list position holder. The County and the CCSD position is not consistent with the prior rulings which occured two years after the ordinance was adopted.
The updated LCP, along with the adopted CCSD Urban and Water Master Plans which limit additional development to 4650 once the desalination plant (new water source) comes on line memorializes that the County, conditioned by the CCC, is using police power to limit any more future development on presently vacant lots, except those on the districts wait list.
This adopted legislative intent will limit the appellate court in this ruling. It will be interesting how the court interprets the new legislation against the prior rulings. Either way, it will have a significant impact on the community of Cambria.