Calhouns Can(n)ons

Where’s Waldo?
The following email from Mark Low was sent to Mark Hutchison in response to the public comment on the DEIR for the Los Osos Sewer Project. The nitrogen reduction attachment tables seemed to indicate various sites showing Nitrate as N (mgl) ranging from 2ish to 7.12. The attachments mentioned should be on Mark's link or on the county's DEIR comment section. Posted with permission.

Greetings,
In support of your wastewater treatment solution efforts to locate and secure consistently efficient, economical and energy efficient technology that is reliable and simple to operate we offer the following:
Attached for your review and consideration are Comments to the San Luis Obispo Draft EIR, exhibits in support of our energy saving and capital cost reduction treatment technology and a generic proposal for a 1MGD ECOfluid USBF Membrane Bioreactor Title 22 Water Reclamation Facility,
A close review of our treatment technology will reveal many advantages over the other treatment technologies your study process included.
These advantages include, but are not limited to, reduced footprint, reduced energy consumption, no odor, reduced sludge production, reduced capital and O&M costs.
The cost range is $6,900,000.00 for a Micro Screen option and $7,400,000.00 for the Membrane option, both include a 30% design, engineering and contingency.
The one factor that significantly contributes to operating simplicity and reduces operating and maintenance needs and costs, is the all gravity process flow. Pumped once from the equalization tank into the bioreactors, the entire flow through the process (biology, filtration and UV disinfection) is by gravity. Gravity and hydraulic action are forces of nature and is energy which is free of charge.
Of course any size (GPD) facility for any strength influent can be designed upon request.
The attached Nitrogen Reduction Memorandum should be of particular interest to those interested in solving Nitrogen loading problems.
http://www.ecofluid.com/ President, Karel Galland P.E. and I are available to discuss in detail the generic proposal and how a site specific proposal can quickly and economically be developed for your project, at no charge, as a professional courtesy.
A technology which provides a 50%+ reduction in energy usage coupled with a 70% reduction in capital cost is very smart, no matter how you pay fit it.
We hope to see it included in your study review process, including the DEIR Comment Review for “substantial” environmental issues for the DEIR located here: http://www.lowwp-eir.net/lowwpeir/eir.aspx
Time and money are precious, so we won’t waste any and know that you will want to give us your best consideration so we look forward to hearing from you soon.
My very best regards,
Mark Low
602.740.7975 voice
480.464.0405 facsimile
Mark@NOwastewater.com
P.O. Box 1355 Mesa, Arizona 85211
Spero Meliora "I aspire to greater things"


Busy Busy Busy?

The following came over the transom. Especially curious is the last paragraph. Huh?

After reading this, will some folks out here in Sewerville start to get the idea that Sticky Thumbs are now back on the scale in the form of a new mantra? Instead of Better Faster Cheaper, will we now starting seeing the phrase “Shovel Ready” used as a new buzz word that will distract people so they won’t see The Process being short-circuited, and instead we’ll start seeing floated the false idea that there will only be ONE federal infrastructure disbursement and if we don’t qualify for that one, (say 90 days?) we’ll totally lose out so we have to HURRY HURRY HURRY, short-cut directly into the old Tri-W project, get Watson Montgomery Harza and the original contractors paid off and penciled in and fast tracked, start digging gravity pipes into the ground immediately, no need for a community survey of “choice,” i.e. Want STEP? Or Gravity?, no need for price evaluations, (STEP costs $___ while Gravity costs $___), No, No, No Time! gotta get this Shovel Ready project into the ground right now or we’ll all die in the streets like dawgs! (Oh, look, it’s the Regional Water Quality Control Board threatening (via the front page of their handmaiden, the Tribune) we’ll get FINES!FINES!FINES! CDO’s for Everyone In Town! if we don’t skip some of these unnecessary steps in The Process and fast-fast-fast start shovel readying NOW!!).

Sticky thumbs? Rustling in the done-deals back rooms? Deja vu? Hmmmmmm??? Well, of course. It’s Sewertown, Jake. Sewertown.

FOLLOW THE MONEY
Wow! What a country. The past year has proven to be as much of a financial roller coaster ride for the nation as the sewer saga has been for Los Osos! However, in the midst of the emotional, political, and economic upsets, new hope for opportunities could be within our grasp once again.
As 2009 dawns we have new leadership at our CSD who bring fresh thoughts and resolve to bring the District's bankruptcy to an end. In addition a leadership change at the County Board of Supervisors has new opportunities to help our community find significant funding for a waste water project. And of course a new administration is about to be installed in Washington just as the need for major investment in infrastructure has taken center stage.


Since 2005 Taxpayers Watch has been dedicated to speaking for the interests of Los Osos taxpayers. TW strategy has been to hold accountable those who are responsible for bankrupting the community. While that strategy has succeeded to a great extent and is likely to end in the return of as much as $2 million to the District treasury in 2009, it is time for each of us to take an active role to voice taxpayer interest in capitalizing on the opportunity the next Federal Stimulus Package is likely to bring our way.


As many of you are aware Congress is wrestling with specifics of how to funnel money, as part of the economic stimulus package, to the states. In fact, President Elect Obama has asked Congress to have a proposal on his desk on January 21, the first day after his inauguration!


As you will read in "The News" below, the idea behind the hundreds of billions of dollars that may be included in the stimulus package is to perk up the national economy by funding "shovel ready" projects that will employ companies and workers performing necessary public works infrastructure projects. The catch is, shovel ready means projects that could start construction (or perhaps restart construction) within 90 days.


TW is asking each of you to contact our County Supervisors, US Congress Members, and US Senators TODAY reminding then that Los Osos does have a wastewater project that could be under construction in 90 days. Ask them to consider funding a restart of the former project.

Dooo Dooo Doo Doo Dee Doo Dooo, Stealth Update Back In Town


Remember a few months back when the RWQCB was holding stealth “public hearings” for updating the septic system onsite rules (Shhhhh, we gotta run this puppy through as fast as possible so please don’t alert the citizens of North County, for example, that when this thing gets rushed through, they’ll become, ta-DA! – the next Los Osos!.) Well, the deadline for commenting is fast approaching. Speak now or forever be out of luck. As for Mark’s comment, “I know there has been a great deal of information recently regarding onsite wastewater systems . . . . “ Really? The Stealth Basin Plan Updates were snuck by without a blink. I’m betting various agencies (not- to mention the general rural public living with septics – clueless) out there are still staring like deer into the headlights, having not yet figured out what they’re in for when these “updates” get run through and turned into enforceable regulations. Bwa-hahahah. Poor dears.

Ladies and Gentlemen: I know there has been a great deal of information recently regarding onsite wastewater systems; such as updating the Basin Plan criteria, proposed AB 885 regulations, and draft Implementation Program. Therefore, I just wanted to send this reminder so that the draft Staff Report that I sent in mid December doesn't get overlooked. The public notice is posted on the "Announcements" section of our website at http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralcoast/ and includes links to the staff report and relate documents, alternately the documents are attached to this message. Comments and recommendations on the proposed action are due by January 23, 2009, and the public hearing is scheduled for March 20, 2009. Please give me a call if you have questions on this topic.Sincerely, Sorrel Marks805/549-3695


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