summer resource
DESCRIPTION
The City of San Luis Obispo Utilities Department's Resource newsletter.TRANSCRIPT
New Water Wise BusinessesThe following sites are now using recycled water for their landscape irrigation: • Prefumo Creek Commons
• Olive Garden
• Hampton Inn & Suites
We thank you for your commitment to the wise use of San Luis Obispo’s water resources!
New Sewer Cap | Improved Utility Billing | Rainy Season is Coming
HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS ISSUE:Working Around the House | Water Rate Structure Study
Summer 2012 Volume 16, Issue 3
THE WATER JOURNEY: WHERE DOES IT COME FROM AND WHERE DOES IT GO?
This is the seventh in a series of articles intended to inform you, the
water and sewer customer, about the journey water takes to reach
homes and businesses, and what happens to it when it goes down
the drain or toilet. Along the way, we have highlighted some of the
various activities in the Utilities Department. So far, we’ve learned
about where your water comes from, the water treatment process,
how water is transported to your home or business, the customer
assistance programs the Utilities Conservation section offers,
and the importance of the Environmental Compliance section in
protecting the wastewater system and the wastewater collection
operations. Now, we’ll move on to the Water Reclamation Facility.
The City of San Luis Obispo’s Water Reclamation Facility is
responsible for treating all of the wastewater (sewage) within
the City, Cal Poly and the county airport. The facility treats
4.5 million gallons of wastewater daily, 24 hours a day, 365
days a year. Operators, laboratory analysts and maintenance
technicians ensure that the facility is operated and maintained
in the most efficient manner possible and complies with federal
state and local discharge requirements.
The Water Reclamation Facility has very stringent discharge
requirements and produces high-quality recycled water that
surpasses drinking water standards. Some of the water is
used to irrigate parks, median strips, landscape and other
appropriate uses. In our next Resource, the water journey will
end when we look at the Water Recycling Program.
The City of San Luis Obispo has a long history of treating
wastewater. During the 1920s, the City constructed one
of the first sewage treatment plants in the state and
has continued to improve the facility over the years by
increasing capacity and improving the quality of the
water that is discharged into San Luis Obispo Creek.
The City is committed to improving water quality in the
most efficient and effective manner possible.
Remember These Tips When Working Around the HouseWhile you are busy crossing those important home
projects off the list this summer, remember that proper
cleanup and disposal of the waste is just as important.
All of us want to keep San Luis Obispo beautiful. That means we all
need to do our part in keeping the streets clear of trash cans and
recycle containers, except on collection day. The City’s Municipal
Code actually prohibits storing waste containers on the sidewalks or
streets of residential areas, placing them out for collection for more
than 24 hours before pickup time, or leaving them out longer than
12 hours following pickup. Additionally, the containers must be
stored out of the public view in between collection days.
It’s also good to know the following guidelines so that you can be
certain your trash and recycling will be picked up:
• Place your containers so that the hinged portion of the lid faces the curb.
• Make sure there is space between your containers so the automated truck arm can operate properly.
• Everything you want collected must be placed within (not outside of) the container.
• Container lids must be fully closed or the container may not be picked up.
If you are unable to follow
these guidelines due to
physical limitations or other
similar reasons, contact
the San Luis Garbage
Company at (805) 543-0875
for assistance and
more information.
Here are some handy tips to keep pollution out of gutters,
storm drains and creeks:
• Service companies, such as carpet or upholstery cleaners, should empty wastewater into a clean-out or other connection to the sewer at the property where they are working, not in a storm drain!
• Landscapers should properly dispose of any yard waste or debris cleaned up. Yard waste and dirt should not be washed off into the gutter.
• When painting, dispose of water used to clean equipment with latex paint into the sewer. Oil-based paints and solvents should never be disposed of in the sewer or storm drains. Excess latex or oil based paints can be taken to the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center at Cold Canyon Landfill free of charge.
• Extra garden chemicals like fertilizers or herbicides and any other household hazardous waste should be properly stored or can be taken to Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center at Cold Canyon Landfill free of charge.
Go to iwma.com for more information on how to appropriately
dispose of household hazardous waste.
MAKE THE NEIGHBORS HAPPY!
Remember: Anything that finds its way into our gutters ends up in our creeks and flows untreated to the ocean.
2
Water Rate Structure Study IS UNDERWAY
By the time this issue of the Resource is delivered to your
home, the City Council will have had two study sessions
regarding how the City charges for water to ensure that
the community’s goals, objectives and expectations are
being met. The first session on July 10 explained the basic
fundamentals of water rate structure design. During the
second session on August 7, the City Council discussed its
goals and objectives, and prioritized the top five goals for use
in developing conceptual rate structure designs. It is important
to note that this study is analyzing the way in which the City
structures water rates, NOT to determine the cost of water.
THERE ARE THREE MORE MEETINGS PLANNED, WITH THE NEXT MEETING TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 18.
At this session, the council-recommended rate structure
goals will be presented to the community and open for
discussion. Based on the prioritization, up to 10 conceptual
water rate designs will be presented at this meeting. Note: No
actual water rates will be discussed; only rate structures will
be discussed.
For more information and to review the topics and dates of
future meetings, visit slowater.org or receive updates from
the Utilities Department’s Facebook page at facebook.com/
SLOUtilitiesDepartment.
UPCOMING SESSIONS:
SEPT 18TH OCT 16TH
3
UNDERSTANDING YOUR WATER AND SEWER BILLINGIn each edition of the Resource, we try to answer some of the
more frequently asked questions we hear. One such question is
“Why do the number of days in my billing cycle vary slightly from month to month?”First, your meter is read and you are billed 12 times a year.
However, your meter is not read on the same day each month for
several reasons. The most obvious is that we do not read meters
on weekends, so this can change the schedule by either adding
or subtracting the number of days in the billing cycle. Additionally,
meters are read Monday through Thursday, which allows our
Customer Service Representatives a dedicated day to work on
other maintenance needs in the system each week. Again, this
contributes to the number of days in the cycle. In order to have
12 monthly bills each year, you will notice that some cycles are
less than 30 days while others are more; over the course of a
year it all evens out.
Second, your bill is calculated and mailed the week after your
meter is read and is due upon presentation. It becomes delinquent
if not paid by the Monday of the week of your next bill. If you are
interested in knowing your meter-read schedule, or if you have
any general questions, feel free to contact the Utility Billing Office
at (805) 781-7133.
Send questions that might be of interest to others in the
community to Ron Munds at [email protected].
City of San Luis Obispo's Water Reclamation Facility
Multi-source water supply policy credited to successThe dry weather and water shortages troubling many other
communities statewide are not threatening San Luis Obispo. Even
if the worst-case drought conditions were to return to the county,
the City’s water supply would last well into 2024.
Today, our community has a unique balance of water efficiency and water supply, which is the exception in California.
UTILITIES DEPARTMENT879 Morro StreetSan Luis Obispo, CA 93401
PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE
PAIDGOLETA, CA
PERMIT NO. 1215
Designed by: Verdin Printed on recycled paper4
With strong leadership from the City Council and investment
by the community, the City has five different water sources that
include Salinas Reservoir, Whale Rock Reservoir, Nacimiento
Water Project pipeline, recycled water and limited groundwater
production. Combined, these sources add a level of water
supply reliability not seen by other communities.
For more information regarding the City’s water supply, view
the 2012 Water Resources Status Report at www.slocity.org/
utilities, or call (805) 781-7215 for more information.
Whale Rock Reservoir
CITY ’S WATER SUPPLY IN GREAT SHAPE
Our number of Facebook fans keeps growing! Launched back
in May, the Util ities Department’s Facebook page of fers the
most up-to-date information and money-saving tips about your
water and sewer uti l ities. Get news about the latest projects
that are planned or underway, ways to save money on your
water bil l, interesting facts about the water and sewer uti l ity
and much more. So like us on Facebook and join the conver-
sation at facebook.com/SLOUtilitiesDepartment.
Like Us on Facebook!NEW SEWER CAPS IN PLACE
Your water and sewer bill in August will reflect the new
sewer cap you established last December, January and
February during your “Average Winter Water Use” period.
The volume-based sewer rate structure implemented in 2007
went from a flat-rate billing system, in which everyone paid
the same no matter how much sewage they generated, to a
much more equitable system based on actual use.
For more information on how your sewer bill is calculated, go
to the Utilities Department website at slocity.org/utilities and
click on “How to Calculate Your Water and Sewer Bill.”