The Hollister City Council unanimously approved spending
$126,000 on water conservation programs throughout San Benito
County.
The Hollister City Council unanimously approved spending $126,000 on water conservation programs throughout San Benito County.
The funds, which are required by a state mandate, will go toward projects that include replacing faucet fixtures and installing low-flow devices, according to Public Works Director Clint Quilter.
During Quilter’s presentation to the Council this week, he said the city must – according to the Administrative Civil Liabilities action from the Regional Water Quality Control Board – participate in water conservation programs designed to decrease water flow throughout the city.
“The money is going to the Water Resource Association for toilet retrofit programs,” Quilter said.
The approved program will reduce flow from toliets to sewers throughout the area, Quilter said.
Eva Schmook of the WRA said the toilet replacements will mostly occur in commercial facilities with relatively high foot traffic. She mentioned gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores, bars and public places such as schools. But the program will also benefit homes.
More than half the approved money, $66,000, will go toward high-traffic commercial facilities.
The remaining $60,000 will go toward residential and low-traffic commercial buildings, which will expand on a residential toilet replacement program that occurred last year.
“The toilet is the largest water-user in the house… It’s the largest source of sewer flows as well,” Schmook said.
She also said the WRA will provide local agencies free toilets to install themselves. And if they do not have the resources to install them, the WRA will provide the service – but less toilets.
Schmook also said if the community shows enough interest, the WRA will offer free toilets to residents who are willing to perform the installation.
“We’re going to get started right away,” she said of the commercial installations.
Residential installations, on the other hand, will begin in late spring, she added.
The city already participates in numerous water conservation programs through its involvement in the WRA, which is a cooperative of local water agencies that include the City of Hollister, the Sunnyslope Water District and the City of San Juan Bautista.
The mandated program stems from a 15-million gallon sewage spill May 4 at the city’s wastewater treatment plant. The RWQCB’s stern demands included six construction deadlines on the city’s Long-term Wastewater Management Plan, with up to $300,000 fines for each date missed.
Although the precise cause of the massive spill is unknown, water has consistently flowed at levels over the plant’s maximum.
Additionally, wastewater officials have admitted previously the treatment plant’s flow measurement tools cannot be trusted to for accurate measurements.
Even though there was no fine at stake for the water conservation deadline of Feb. 6, city officials have expressed, on numerous occasions, the need to stay on track and satisfy the water board.
The final deadline does not occur until Oct. 15, 2005 – the scheduled completion date for the new domestic wastewater treatment plant.
Free Lance staff writer Kollin Kosmicki contributed to this report.
