Wednesday, January 20, 2016

30 years of "pooling human waste," and "Chromium 6" in Los Osos water question, please

TO: Harvey C. Packard, Section Manager, Central Coast Water Board

Hello Harvey,

Howya been? : -)

I'm researching a story, and I recently read a Trib story, at this link:


... on how "The Los Osos Community Services District isn't sure what caused one of its wells to exceed state standards for Chromium 6, also known as hexavalent chromium, which can be a carcinogen at high exposure levels."

Now, with that story in mind, I just had a quick question involving the Central Coast Water Board's document, "Los Osos Water Quality Impacts," October 2005, at this link:


... where it's discussing the history of the Los Osos sewer project.

In that document, it reads:

"One million gallons per day of sewage continues to be discharged to the (Los Osos) community's groundwater and seeps to Morro Bay State and National Estuary. (A sewer in Los Osos) will end human waste discharges to Morro Bay, end health hazards of surfacing effluent, and greatly improve groundwater quality."

and;
"During wet weather... people, pets, and wildlife are exposed to pooling human waste (in parts of Los Osos)..."

and;
"Many of the community's 5,000 homes are on very small lots... The vast majority of homes and other buildings use septic systems for waste disposal." and "Septic tanks severely pollute shallow groundwater... (which) threatens the deep sole-source drinking water aquifer."

and;

"... (a community-wide sewer system) will end human waste discharges to Morro Bay, end health hazards of surfacing effluent and greatly improve groundwater quality."

Additionally, in the 2004 Central Coast Water Board's document, at this link:
"Degradation of ground water and surface waters from high-density use and septic systems in Los Osos will continue until (a) sewer system is built. Every day that the problem is not resolved, approximately one million gallons (356 million gallons a year) of partially treated wastewater is being discharged to the community's sole source of drinking water."

Now, with all of that in mind, here's my question:

Considering that "5,000 homes" on "very small lots" in Los Osos have been (illegally [as you well know]) using "septic systems for waste disposal" since 1988, and those "5,000 homes" on "very small lots" will continue to "severely pollute shallow groundwater" -- at "approximately one million gallons" of "severe pollution" per day, including today, and tomorrow, and the next day, etc., until the county's sewer project goes on-line sometime this year (at least that's what county officials tell us) -- all the while, "severely polluting shallow groundwater" in Los Osos, which "threatens the deep sole-source drinking water aquifer," do you, or does anyone on your staff, have any reason(s) to believe that there might be some correlation between the nearly 30 years of the "severely polluting" use of septic tanks (at "approximately one million gallons" of "severe pollution" per day) in Los Osos, and "what (recently) caused one of (the LOCSD's) wells to exceed state standards for Chromium 6," "which can be a carcinogen at high exposure levels."

I'm just curious, you know, because "approximately one million gallons" of "severe (water) pollution" per day) in Los Osos, for almost 30 years-and-counting (including today, and tomorrow, and the next day, etc.), sounds like one of the worst wo/man-made water pollution events in human history (I mean, we're talking billions and billions and billions of gallons of water pollution, over a nearly 30 year span) -- and now I'm wondering if there's actually starting to be some real health fallout from such a massive, and completely unobservable, environmental disaster. 

As always, much thanks,
Ron

Oh... and, P.S. : This email automatically posted to my blog, SewerWatch, at this link:


Thanks again!
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sewerwatch.blogspot.com

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