C4H2O Position Statements
Introduction
The North Coast Advisory Council considered the Coastal Development Permit (CDP) application for the SWF at their meeting on August 19th. (The CDP is also referred to as the regular operating permit.) With their 9-2 vote recommending approval, the permit application process is under way. Many of you wrote to support the SWF. Thank you.
At the NCAC meeting, however, there were a number of letters and comments opposing the SWF. The opposing comments included six recurring topics. We have written C4H2O position statements addressing those topics which are summarized below:
Position Statement 1: C4H2O’s Objective is Water Security, Not Population Growth: Cambrians for Water strongly supports a regular operating permit for the Sustainable Water Facility that provides the CCSD flexibility to operate the SWF as necessary to provide Cambria a secure and adequate water supply. Because the topics of water security and growth have been so tightly linked by many in town, a discussion of growth is appropriate. The SWF’s Environmental Impact Report refers to the 2008 Water Master Plan of no more than 4,650 residential water connections. If the Water Master Plan is fully implemented, at most, there will be no more than about 20% additional water connections spread over the next fifteen to twenty years. The County (which controls such matters) may slow that growth rate even further. The SWF will not lead to rampant growth of our town. Unfortunately, however, Cambria’s water security has been held hostage by fear of such growth for decades.
Position Statement 2: The SWF is Cost Effective: The SWF is a low-cost insurance policy for Cambrians. The plant adds about $20 per month to our water bills. These charges are contained in one of the lowest overall costs for utilities in our region. As of September 1, 2020, the CCSD’s average bi-monthly bill of $260 ranks second lowest in the region, above only San Simeon. The regular operation permit, allowing for flexibility in managing operation of the plant to avoid emergencies, is a truly cost-effective means to assure Cambria’s water security.
Position Statement 3: The SWF and The Environment: The CCSD water and wastewater operations impact the environment surrounding San Simeon Creek. The SWF, which is a water reuse facility, is just one part. Taken together the entire system of operations is substantially mitigated. The subject of how the SWF may impact the environment and what mitigation measures should be adopted to mitigate any such impact is the subject of scientific and engineering expertise beyond these position papers or C4H2O. However, the CCSD has a strong track record of employing top environmental and engineering consultants to analyze environmental issues associated with the SWF (and all other CCSD facilities) and continues to do so.
Position Statement 4: Using the SWF for Long-Term Water Security was not Bait and Switch: In order to impassion some Cambrians against the Sustainable Water Facility, the SWF’s opponents claim that the CCSD promised the facility would always be used only during Stage 3 water shortages only and never for long term water security. That was never the case. The bait and switch advocates ignore the project’s origins, its history, its capabilities and the terms of the emergency permit itself. Further, the nefarious and conspiratorial suspicions promoted by project opponents about the change of the project’s name from EWS to SWF is misplaced.
Position Statement 5: The Sustainable Water Facility Is Capable of Producing Clean Safe Potable Water: Opponents of the Sustainable Water Facility have argued for years, perhaps as early as when the plant was constructed in 2014, that the facility can’t produce potable water to supplement Cambria’s natural water supplies. Their persistence in claiming that the SWF doesn’t work seems to be based on the notion that because the facility hasn’t been used for a few years, it is incapable of producing water. The claim is misplaced. The SWF has produced substantial quantities of clean safe drinking water in the past and it can do so again, when needed.
Position Statement 6: CCSD’s Pending Application for a Regular Operating Permit Should not be Delayed to Complete Additional Technical Environmental Studies: Currently there is more than enough information to permit the SWF. The CCSD recognizes the San Simeon Creek environment is important and has demonstrated its commitment to a thorough understanding of the impact of its operations in the area. There have been numerous studies in the past and there will be more in the future. However, Cambrians need certainty about our water supply; it is time to press forward with the CDP.
Conclusion
We hope you will take the time to read the discussions to be better informed as we approach milestones relating to the regular operating permit application.
Cambrians for Water Steering Committee