ConnectingCalifornia.org

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Treated Sewage Pipeline Planned for Oxnard Beach

August 3, 2007 Environmental Defense Center Action Alert

http://www.edcnet.org/

DEIR Released for Ventura County Water Project: September 10 Comment Deadline for Calleguas Municipal Water District "Regional Salinity Management Project/Hueneme Outfall Replacement Project"

The Calleguas Municipal Water District (CMWD), which supplies water services to about three quarters of Ventura County's population, has released a draft environmental impact report (DEIR) http://www.calleguas.com/eir/eir.htm for its proposal to build a pipeline through Oxnard and Port Hueneme to discharge treated wastewater into the ocean, part of a regional plan to increase Ventura county's water supply through recycling and desalination of waste water.

Background:
According to the Ventura County Star newspaper:

"The 48-inch pipeline would run underground along Hueneme Road and Surfside Drive to Port Hueneme Beach Park. There, it would connect to a 30-inch line that would burrow beneath the sand, emerge beyond the surf line and extend nearly a mile out to sea, terminating in a discharge outlet in 48 feet of water. The pipe would be installed on the sea floor along the route of an existing Port of Hueneme sewage plant discharge, unused since the mid-1970s.

"The project represents the final link in a 32-mile pipeline Calleguas has been constructing from Simi Valley to the sea since 2002. When completed, the line will carry highly treated wastewater from municipal sewage plants in Simi Valley and Moorpark. Turnouts would be installed in the line to allow downstream customers access to the treated water for irrigation. What isn't used for irrigation would go to the ocean for disposal. State health regulations allow the water to be used to irrigate golf courses and other landscaping, as well as to support restored wetlands, said Don Kendall, general manager of Calleguas."

"The pipeline also will link existing or proposed treatment plants designed to remove salt from brackish groundwater so it can be delivered to municipal or agricultural users. The purification process produces a briny waste, which would be discharged into the ocean along with any unused wastewater from the Moorpark and Simi sewage plants."

[Source: Ventura County Star, 28 July 2007]

According to the CMWD, the project promises to supply an additional 20,000 acre feet of water per year to the county. In a recent carbon footprint assessment, http://www.calleguas.com/carbonfootprint.pdf the Agency further calculates that, should these savings reduce importation of water from the State Water project, significant reductions of energy consumption and CO2 emissions could be realized. However, should these water supply savings simply facilitate expanded development in Ventura County, such benefits could be swamped by expanded demand for both local and State Project water.

The public review period for the DEIR/EA closes September 10th, 2007. Submit written comments to:
CMWD
Attn: Eric Bergh
2100 Olsen Road
Thousand Oaks
California 91360.

PUBLIC MEETINGS:
A public hearing at which the public can provide oral and/or written comments on the DEIR/EA will be held on August 15th, 2007 at 6:30 p.m. at CMWD’s administration office, located at the address noted above.

Unless otherwise noticed, the CMWD Board of Directors will consider the Final EIR/EA for certification during its regularly scheduled board meeting on October 3rd, 2007, at 6:30 p.m. at CMWD’s administration office.

Hard copies of the DEIR/EA and supporting documents are available for review online, at CMWD’s administration office and also at the Ray D. Prueter Library, 510 Park Avenue, Port Hueneme, CA and South Oxnard Branch Library, 4300 Saviers Road, Oxnard, CA.