Summer 2008
Financial Condition Sound - Rate Increase Kept Low
Despite an anticipated loss of property tax revenue and rising operating expenses, the Ojai Valley Sanitary District preliminary budget for 2008–2009 calls for only a 3.7% increase in the rate paid by customers for sewer service.
“I’m very pleased that we’ve been able to keep the rate increase to a minimal level, which is close to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase,” said John K. Correa, P.E., OVSD General Manager.
“Our books are balanced and our fiscal house is in order,” he said. “We have debt, but we’re in good shape financially. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I believe we’re on track for small rate increases like this one in the years to come. Because operating costs are always rising, rate increases are inevitable. But our goal is to keep them as low as possible.”
For the 2008-2009 fiscal year, it is anticipated that the State of California will strip away 70 percent (more than $300,000) of property tax revenue traditionally depended upon by the Sanitary District.
Correa explained that the District was nevertheless able to keep the rate increase low primarily because it was able to get a much lower-than-expected interest rate on last year’s borrowing for collection system upgrades deemed essential to protecting the environment in future years. That, along with supplementary money taken from the Rate Stabilization Reserve Fund, enabled the District to keep the rate increase low.
There are some uncertainties looming. The State budget will probably not be completed until August or September, and industry observers speculate that the State might end up taking away all of the property tax revenues from districts such as OVSD. If that happens, the District might have to dip further into reserves to keep the rate increase at 3.7%.
Another uncertainty is whether new environmental requirements will compel potentially expensive upgrades to the District’s Wastewater Treatment Plant.
District officials are anticipating some changes, but are unable at this point to project the extent or cost of them.
As with all public agencies, private businesses, and individual households, costs continue to go up every year for the District. For example, the 2008–2009 preliminary operating budget calls for:
- 3.1% increase in wages
- 7.0% increase in health insurance costs
- 5.0% increase in electric utility costs
- Funding a new Retirement Health Insurance Trust
“The District is committed to responsible fiscal management and our history bears that out,” said Correa. “Available resources are focused on maintaining services and programs essential to District facilities and improving the quality of service to the customers of the District with minimal rate increases.”
For more information visit:
www.ojaisan.org
Health professionals will be the first to tell you to get rid of unused or outdated medications – including prescription drugs, over-the-counter preparations and veterinary medicines.
But don’t put them into the sewer system by flushing them down the toilet or pouring them down the drain. Drugs, as well as personal care products, pose a potential threat to the aquatic environment and possibly to humans as well.
The sewage treatment process does not remove many of the chemical compounds from these products. Flushing them down the toilet is equivalent to flushing them directly into the Ventura River.
Ojai Valley Sanitary District officials offer these recommendations:
- Keep the medications in their original containers, scratching your name off to protect your privacy, bag them, put the bag into a sturdy box and place it into the trash close to the time rubbish is picked up. Or in the alternative:
- Drop off your unused medications at Help of Ojai’s Community Assistance Program office at 212 Fox Street, Ojai; (805) 640-3320. The CAP office accepts medications and contributes them to Doctors Without Borders for use overseas.
Research continues on the impacts of medications in surface waters on human health and the environment. So far, scientists have been most concerned about interference with growth and reproduction in aquatic organisms. Exposure to hormones, such as those present in birth control pills or estrogen replacement products, appears to cause sexual anomalies in fish and frogs.
For more information visit:
www.nodrugsdownthedrain.org
Did you know that you might be helping subsidize individuals who are not paying their fair share for sewer service? There are a number of property owners in the Ojai Valley who have bootlegged illegal sewer connections which contribute to increasing everyone’s rates. The problem typically arises when structures at the rear of properties – such as garages or pool houses – are converted into separate residences, usually as rental units for added income. The property owner pays for only one sewer connection to their main house, when they should be paying the connection and service fees for the second residence as well. District officials are concerned about this issue, are investigating it, and are asking for your help. If you are aware of any situations that should be checked, you may contact us anonymously at (805) 646-5548.
Phone calls from District customers, after reading about bootlegged connections in previous issues of Pipeline, have already helped OVSD identify several illegal connections throughout the Ojai Valley.
Preventive Maintenance in the Home Can Go a Long Way
If you don’t do regular preventive maintenance on your car, you may be headed for big expenses and a lot of grief. The same applies to your laterals – laterals are the underground pipelines on your property that carry sewage from toilets and drains to the Sanitary District main line.
Lack of preventive maintenance can cause a backup of raw sewage into your home. Here’s what you can do:
- Keep Fats/Oils/Grease (FOG) – which congeal and harden in the pipelines causing blockages – out of your drains. Pour off grease from pans into a disposable container and deposit it into the trash. Wipe down all pans and utensils thoroughly with paper towels before washing them.
- Recognize that roots of trees and shrubs commonly grow into the sewer laterals, particularly at the joints, and can cause major blockages.
The first symptom of trouble in your lateral is slow drainage from sinks, showers and tubs. When the plumber or rooter service pushes through the obstruction and opens up the flow, it might be only a temporary fix. For example, if there are encroaching roots or Fats/Oils/Grease (FOG) the obstruction may soon come back.
Many plumbers, and most rooter services, offer video inspections of laterals. After the initial cleanout, it might be a good idea to ask for a video inspection to determine if there are problems remaining in the lateral. Discuss this with your plumber or rooter service.
Local Businesses Can Help Too - Fats, Oils, Grease
The Ojai Valley Sanitary District Fats/Oils/Grease (FOG) program is aimed at stopping discharges of FOG into the sewer system by restaurants and markets. The FOG program educates restaurant and market management and personnel on the hazards of grease in sewer lines and the potential clogs leading to sewage backups and spills. The District encourages the use of Best Management Practices, such as wiping down pots and pans before washing them, use of grease interceptors that capture the FOG and regular cleaning of grease interceptors for optimal performance. “We’re getting less grease in the sewer pipelines due to increased awareness and cooperation by the restaurants,” says Ron Sheets, OVSD Operations Superintendent. “But prevention is an ongoing job.” The District issues permits to restaurants and markets, currently contracting with the Ventura Regional Sanitation District to conduct regular restaurant inspections.
Protecting the Environment is a Full Time Job
It’s something like painting the Golden Gate Bridge. As soon as it’s finished, workers start all over again at the other end. Ojai Valley Sanitary District (OVSD) crews follow that same formula in constantly cleaning the District’s collection system pipeline, vastly reducing the risk of preventable sewage spills.
It’s a three-year cleaning cycle starting at Ojai’s east end and terminating at the Ventura Avenue area near Shell Road. However, the cleaning cycle is not a single, uninterrupted process. Crews periodically double back to area that must be cleaned more often, called “hot spots.”
The line cleaning and video inspections are geared toward avoiding pipeline clogs that can cause sewage spills. So the next time you have to wait an extra couple of minutes in traffic to drive around OVSD trucks and equipment in the street, be patient and say hello. Remember that this operation is protecting our environment.
Ventura Avenue Project on the Drawing Board
The Ojai Valley Sanitary District will soon begin a $4.5 million rehabilitation and realignment project on its sewage collection system in the Ventura Avenue area.
The upgrade project will replace pump station and force main facilities installed in 1967 that have experienced significant deterioration. The force main is the pressure pipe used to carry wastewater uphill from the pump station to the Treatment Plant.
This project is a continuation of the District-wide rehabilitation of the wastewater collection system capital improvement projects deemed essential to protect the environment by reducing the risk of preventable sewage spills in future years.
Green up your lawn and shrubs and strengthen the plant growth in your garden this summer with nitrogen-rich compost from the Ojai Valley Sanitary District.
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 fill a truckload at the District’s wastewater treatment plant located at 6363 North Ventura Avenue.
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