Morro Bay / Cayucos Wastewater Treatment Plant Update

by Jack McCurdy

The jointly-owned Morro Bay and Cayucos wastewater treatment plant looked like it was headed for a disaster: a multi-million dollar upgrade that would fall short of being designed with the latest technology, which experts believe could cost sewer rate-payers a lot more than need be, fail to adequately protect residents from drifting smells, and miss the chance to save significant money by recycling wastewater for use in local landscape irrigation, supplying farmers with much-needed water and bolstering Morro Bay's valuable wells by replenishing their aquifers.

That dismal prospect grew out of a vote by the Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) board on April 8 to refuse to listen to ideas for building an up-to-date new plant, an action that stunned those who have been following the controversy over the state-required plant upgrade for years.

But now there are signs that disaster may be avoided. Last week four members of the board, which consists of the Morro Bay City Council and the Cayucos Sanitary District board, met and did essentially what the board would not do: review the ideas that the PERC Water company has to offer in the way of a ultra-modern plant, which could be an estimated $8 million to $16 million cheaper than the projected $28 million project on the drawing boards now—anywhere from a 28% to 59% savings. And it would produce recycled water for outdoor use, instead of lesser-quality processed water being dumped into Estero Bay from the plant on the Morro Bay harbor front.

Those four members—Rick Grantham and Noah Smukler from the Morro Bay Council and Robert Enns and Mike Foster from the Cayucos Sanitary District board—had visited the Santa Paula plant that was designed and built by PERC Water and came away impressed, for the most part. They had agreed to write reports on what they saw and learned for the JPA board, but now appear ready to write a joint committee report.

In preparation for that, they met last week on May 27—it was not a publicly-noticed meeting—and were presented with what is called a customized design report prepared by PERC Water—essentially the same as what would have been the presentation by that company, which was rejected by a 6-3 vote of the JPA board. Now the JPA board, at its next meeting on June 10, may request and accept the same report for formal review, which would mean the equivalent of reversing its April 8 vote against considering the PERC Water proposal or any other company's alternative plan for the plant upgrade.

If it does, that would open up the discussion of the details of the PERC Water plan to the public for the first time.

A new group, called Citizens for a More Affordable Waste Water Treatment Plant in Morro Bay, has been formed to help provide the JPA board with more information on alternative technologies in the design of the plant upgrade. Its chair, Barry Branin, a retired engineer and Morro Bay resident, met with the committee of four last week.

Branin has asked the JPA board to consider what he calls "significant changes in the economic climate and requirements of the project." They are:

1. The economy has hit a really rough spot and all of us must tighten our belts and cut costs.

2. The California Coastal Commission has outlined its requirements for reuse of the processed waste water as well as the appearance of the plant in the visitor serving area (where the existing plant is located).

3. It has been realized that because of the plant being in the flood plain, it is not feasible to just recondition what we have—instead a whole new plant is needed.

4. The cost of financing has gone up and will continue to do so as we go to the market to obtain the needed funds to build the plant.
Therefore, the plan presently being used by the design contractor to develop the upgrade—not a wholly new plant, as Branin suggests will be required--needs to be reevaluated in light of these factors, he said. 

It represents an opportunity to consider a design that could save Morro Bay and Cayucos substantial sums and can provide a plant "with a smaller footprint that has water that can be reused in wetlands restoration or agriculture, and we must look at it," he said.

On behalf of his organization, he asked the JPA board to approve formal consideration of the PERC Water customized design report on June 10.

Belted Kingfisher image on banner by Cleve Nash