Summer
2002
Concern for the Ventura River is High Priority for Sanitary
District
Follow-up Report: Infiltration and Inflow
No Rate Increase for the 8th Year in a Row
The Use of Ultraviolet Light in Wastewater Disinfection
OVSD's Treated Water Surpasses California Standards for
Purity
Free Biosolids
Concern
for the Ventura River is High
Priority for Sanitary District
The District is engaged in conducting a feasibility study that will determine the best way to remove the Meiners Oaks sewer trunk line from its current shallow position crossing the Ventura River. Once the study is complete, the District will make a decision to either install a siphon line deep enough below the floor of the river to insure pipeline integrity regardless of river flow, or to find another way to reroute the line from its current location.
Although there is no indication that the line, in its current position, takes on water from the river, or that it releases sewage into the river, it is vulnerable to damage from rocks during major storms or of being washed out. By rerouting the line in one way or another, any possibility of future spills into the river will be avoided.
In 1963, when the sewer line was originally installed, the work was done in the manner of the times which favored the cheapest installation cost. At that time, the water lines and sewer lines, as well as the Old Baldwin Road itself, went through the riverbed, ending up at the current entrance to Burnham Road. Then, in 1969, the winter storms washed away the road entirely, and in 1971 the state came in and built the bridge that currently spans the river. In 1972, the sewer lines were rerouted to follow the span of the bridge, but were not removed from the riverbed itself, since there was really no reason to do so. However, the storms of 1978, 1983, and 1998, brought damage to the line which resulted in minor spills. Today, with growing concern for the environment and the potential fines which might be levied, the District is searching for an alternative sewer line location that will prevent future spills.
As a result of an aggressive effort to reduce the amount of Infiltration and Inflow (I & I) into the sewer system, approximately one-half of the 120 miles of trunk and main lines owned by the OVSD have been cleaned, inspected, repaired and smoke tested. The effort began in the City of Ojai, since that area had been the largest producer of high rain flows in the past, and because it had the largest concentration of repair projects in the District’s current 5-year capital improvement plan. In addition to the above effort, the District also conducted the same inspection and repair efforts in about one-half of the Oak View community as well.
Although smoke testing
did not identify any significant sources of rainwater inflow, wherever
defects were found, lines were repaired.
Since the amount of daily, average sewage flow should remain consistent
regardless of weather conditions, the OVSD has inserted 10 flow meters
at selected locations throughout their system, in order to monitor the
amount of flow during our current dry weather conditions. These meters
will continue monitoring the system throughout the rainy season as well,
so that a comparison can be made between the two, and additional problems,
if there are any, can be identified and repaired.
The OVSD will continue these efforts throughout the remainder of 2002, using their own crews to finish work and make any necessary repairs in the Oak View and Ventura Avenue areas.
No
Rate Increase for the
8th Year in a Row
The District has adopted an annual budget without increasing rates to its customers for the eighth year in a row. By building upon last year’s goals of implementing energy conservation measures, the District’s Board and management team has been able to sustain its commitment of long-term rate stability to its customers.
The Use of Ultraviolet Light in Wastewater Disinfection
Sunlight is a natural disinfectant. The ultraviolet (UV) rays, in a concentrated dose, can destroy a wide range of microorganisms by altering the genetic material (DNA) in cells so that bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms can no longer reproduce.
In UV disinfection
systems, UV light is produced by germicidal lamps that are submerged in
an open channel. As the wastewater flows past the UV lamps, the microorganisms
are exposed to a lethal dose of UV energy. UV dose is measured as the
product of the UV light intensity times the exposure time within the UV
lamp array.
Here’s why the Ojai Valley Sanitary District uses a UV wastewater
disinfection system at it’s award-winning, state-of-the-art treatment
facility:
- no chemicals needed
- greater safety for operators
- greater effectiveness on a wide range of pathogens
- faster treatment time
- simple operation; in essence, a lighting system with no moving parts
- avoids generation of trihalomethanes
- improves effluent quality of water through salinity reduction.
OVSD’s Treated Water Surpasses California Standards for Purity
OVSD continues to surpass the standards put forth by the State of California. See the charts below for a comparison between permit limits, drinking water and the water that has been treated and put back into the Ventura River by the District.
Fat-Free
Sewers:
How to Prevent Fats, Oils and Grease
from Damaging Your Home and the Environment
Helping to prevent sewer overflows and backups is easy.
Here’s what you can do to help:
- Never pour grease down the sink drains or into toilets.
- Scrape grease and food scraps into a can or the trash for disposal (or recycling where available).
- Put baskets/strainers in sink drains to catch food scraps and other solids, and emptying them into the trash.
- Speaking with your friends and neighbors about how to keep grease out of sewers.
Composted biosolids are currently available to the public for unrestriced use as a soil amendment at no cost.
Pick up a bag full, or a truckload at the District's Wastewater Treatment Plant located at 6363 N. Ventura Avenue, while supplies last.
Call (805) 648-5066 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to ensure compost availablitly.
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