permitted residential connections will be subject to up to three years unpaid sewer service charges, fines, penalties and other District costs related to correcting the unpermitted connection, plus applicable capacity charges and regular sewer ser-vice charges. During the second phase, the District will also be actively identifying unpermitted connections through lawfully conducted inspections. Under the District’s new enforcement policies, property owners with an unper-mitted residential connection have the op-

For some time, hundreds of Ojai Valley property owners with unpermitted (boot-legged and illegal) sewer connections have been getting away with not paying their fair share for sanitary sewer service. That’s about to change with the adoption of new enforcement measures by the Ojai Valley Sanitary District. The District recently adopted new enforcement policies and procedures to identify and correct unpermitted residen-tial sewer connections. The District will be implementing the new enforcement measures in two phases in order to give District customers an opportunity to vol-untarily correct their unpermitted connec-tions before being subject to unpaid sewer service charges, fines, penalties and appli-cable District costs to correct the violation of District ordinances.

Continued on page 4

There will be no rate increase for OVSD customers in the 2010-2011 fiscal year. For the second year in a row, the Ojai Val-ley Sanitary District is holding the line on sewer service rates. As it did last year, the District is using reserves from its Contin-gency and Stabilization Fund to partially subsidize rates for the upcoming fiscal year. And again, budgetary belt-tighten-ing helped enable the District to avoid a rate hike.

BOARD SAYS NO RAte INcReASe

Ojai Valley Sanitary District

PIPELINE

Summer 2010Issue Number 20

Vital Information on Sanitary Service for our Residents of the District

ILLEGAL SEWER CONNECTIONS DON’T

PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE.

During the first phase (beginning July 1, 2010 and continuing through June 30, 2011), the District will waive all unpaid sewer service charges, penalties and fines for those property owners that voluntarily notify the District of their unpermitted residential connections (such as illegally converted garages and granny flats) and take the steps necessary to properly per-mit those illegal connections. In order to permit the connection, the property owner will have to pay certain fees and charges, including applicable capacity charges and regular sewer service charges. During the second phase (from

June 30, 2011 forward), all property owners with un-

Ordinance Allows Property Owners with Unpermitted Connections to Come Clean with No Penalties

The ordinance can be viewed atwww.ojaisan.org

two mile-long force main through which sewage will be pumped from the pumping station to the OVSD Treatment Plant. The new configuration calls for elimi-nating the existing pumping station at the abandoned Petrochem Refinery, which will reduce the use of electrical power and save the costs of maintaining the installation. The only visi-ble signs today that the construction crews have been in the area, dug the trenches and built the underground pipelines are slightly newer areas of paving on the sur-face. Examples include parts of Crooked Palm Road and the bike path, above the now buried force main and gravity line. The new sewer pipes are made of heavy duty plastic material that is stron-ger, longer lasting and much less prone to

break and leak than the 1960s era pipe-

2

The Ojai Valley Sanitary District’s Ven-tura Avenue Sewer Improvements Proj-ect – designed to protect the environment by replacing aging infrastructure built in the 1960s – is well on its way toward com-pletion early next year. The completed project will increase efficiency, cut operating costs and reduce the carbon footprint. The $6 million project consists of three phases: construction of two new sewer pipelines, and a complete rebuild-ing and refurbishing of the pumping sta-tion on Orchard Drive, near Ventura Av-enue, south of the Pepsi plant. The new sewer pipelines were recent-ly completed, and work is now under way on the pumping station. One of the new sewer pipes is a grav-ity line running from the Valley Vista tract down to the Orchard Drive pumping sta-tion. The other line is a nearly

Please do not flush wipes – whether they’re labeled “flushable” or not – down your toilet. If you do, you risk clog-ging up your lateral or our sanitary sewer system pumps,

causing costly breakdowns and even possible sewage spills into the environment. Accord-ing to reports, so-called “flush-able” wipes have caused these preventable mishaps in locales

across the nation. The problem with some, if not all, “flushable” wipes is they do not break down and disintegrate in water as claimed. On its website, Consumer Reports posted a video demonstration that graphically compares top brands of wipes labeled “flush-able” with toilet paper when placed in a beaker of spinning water. The toilet paper broke down in eight seconds. The wipes were still intact after 30 minutes. Proposed legislation is now

working its way through the California State Legislature to remedy the problem. The law

would prohibit consumer prod-ucts from being labeled “flush-able” if they do not meet certain biodegradability and dispersal standards. Meanwhile, you can do your part to safeguard our sys-tem by placing all wipes into the trash, even if they are marked “flushable.”

lines they are replacing. Most of the pipe is ten inches in diameter and in some areas, 12 inches. The project is completely rebuilding the Orchard Drive pumping station, in-stalling more energy-efficient pumps and

motors.Financing for the Ventura Avenue Sewer Improvements Project came from the sale of bonds by the District about three years ago. The Ventura Avenue Sewer Improve-ments Project is a continuation of the District-wide rehabilitation of the waste-water collection system capital improve-ment projects deemed essential to protect the environment by reducing the risk of preventable sewage spills in future years.

Ventura Avenue Project Environmental Safeguard Nears Completion

“Flushable” Wipes Aren’t

The project is an example of OVSD’s proactive approach. It is designed to avoid environment-degrading sewage spills before they can happen.

“Flushable” wipes can clog your lateral and cause costly repairs.

3

Today we thoroughly understand the im-portance of sanitary sewers and the proper treatment and disposal of raw sewage in maintaining public health. But for most of human history, that knowledge was sketchy at best, with dire consequences. In 19th century London, for example, citizens had to be careful as they walked down the streets, with the local residents regularly emptying their chamber pots from second story windows. That symbol-ized an underlying set of problems. The city was soon to become a living laboratory of public health disasters. The first cholera epidemic erupted in 1832, and the second in 1848, claiming more than 25,000 victims over the next

six years. Scientists had already made the connection between a water supply con-taminated by human waste and the rapid spread of disease. But the city lacked ad-equate sanitary sewers, and the filthy con-ditions persisted. In 1855, Parliament established the Metropolitan Board of Works, which be-gan developing an effective wastewater collection system. Nearly two millennia before that, in ancient Rome, great underground sewers were built and connected to in-dividual houses. But little progress on the technology of wastewater han-dling was made until the 19th century. Part II will be in the next issue of Pipeline.

William C. (Bill) Murphy has been ap-pointed to the Ojai Valley Sanitary District Board of Directors. He takes over the Di-vision 7 seat made vacant by the death of longtime Director William E. Lotts. Mur-phy must run for election in November to fill out the last two years of Mr. Lotts’ four-year term. Murphy is Program Manager at the National Disaster Search Dog Founda-tion, where he manages 70 search dog res-cue teams, including budgeting, training and strategic placement of teams.

He retired from the U.S. Navy in 2008 after 24 years’ service as an officer. He worked in a command-structured en-vironment, enabling him to utilize his talents in decision-making and working in a group setting. He holds a master’s degree in National Security and Stra-tegic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College and a B.A. in accounting and busi-ness management from Asbury College, Wilmore, Kentucky. He is a licensed pilot. Murphy and his wife, Diane, and their daughter, Rae, live in Ojai.

Remembering William E. Lotts

OVSD Welcomes Bill Murphy to the Board of Directors

A Brief History of Sanitation

William E. (Bill) Lotts served on the OVSD Board for 21 years up until his death at age 85 this past January. Over the years, he

served in many capacities including chairman, vice-chairman, secretary, assistant secretary, various internal committees and as a representative of the Board to numerous outside orga-nizations.

“Mr. Lotts made notable contributions and achievements in policy and deci-sion-making during his tenure in each of these roles,” said a Board proclama-tion honoring his service. “He always maintained a positive and visionary view of the District’s needs and fu-ture goals, which has contributed to the Ojai Valley Sanitary District being looked upon as a leader.”

“Flushable” Wipes Aren’t

Part I

DID YOU KNOW...OVSD has approximately 2250 manholes and 120 miles of sewer pipeline between the east end of the Ojai Valley and Shell Road at Highway 33, and treats nearly 2 million gallons of wastewater each day.

Ojai Valley Sanitary District1072 Tico Road, Ojai, CA 93023www.ojaisan.org

BOaRD Of DIRectORSGeorge Galgas, Division 1 Randy Burg, Division 2Pete Kaiser, Division 3 ChairmanJack curtis, Division 4 SecretaryRuss Baggerly, Division 5 Assistant SecretaryStan Greene, Division 6Vice ChairmanWilliam Murphy, Division 7

General ManagerJohn K. correa

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New DistrictOrdinanceContinued from page 1

tion, with no cost imposed by the District, of voluntarily disconnecting the unpermit-ted sewer connection or altering the use of the offending structure so that its sewer connection does not require a permit. In addition, there are procedures established by which property owners will be duly no-

ticed and provided an opportunity to be heard regarding an alleged unpermitted residential sewer connection. “This is an important issue because the sewer rates paid by the majority are subsidizing these unpermitted connec-tions,” said John K. Correa, P.E., District General Manager. “We are engaging in this new program in the interest of fair-ness – making sure that nobody gets away with being served for free. It’s all a matter of treating people equally and seeing to it that everybody plays by the rules.” If you are interested in legalizing an unpermitted connection or need addi-tional information about disconnecting an unpermitted sewer connection, call the District’s Customer Service Representa-tive, Laurie Johnson at (805) 646-5548. The complete Ordinance addressing unpermitted connections can be viewed on the District’s website at www.ojaisan.org.

EMERGENCY ALERTSIn case of fire, flood or other natural disasters or emergencies, tune your radio to 1610 AM in the Ojai Valley.

It’s a matter of treating people equally and seeing to it that everybody plays by the rules.

Green Up Your YardNitrogen-rich compost from the Ojai Valley Sanitary District will green up your lawn and shrubs and also strengthen the plant growth in your garden.

Composted biosolids are available to the public for unrestricted use as a soil amendment at no cost. The OVSD compost meets the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Class A Exceptional Quality” standards for biosolids. Bring your own container or have a truckload filled by OVSD staff at the District’s wastewater treatment plant located at 6363 North Ventura Avenue.

Supplies are limited. To ensure availability, which is highest in summer through late fall,

call (805) 646-5548.

With Free Compost From the Ojai Valley Sanitary District