Hollister City Council members anticipate hearing concrete
solutions to the city’s sewer problems, as well as a timeline for
fixing them, when new City Manager Clint Quilter addresses the body
July 5.
Hollister – Hollister City Council members anticipate hearing concrete solutions to the city’s sewer problems, as well as a timeline for fixing them, when new City Manager Clint Quilter addresses the body July 5.
“My understanding is … we’ll be given pretty set milestones – by this date we’ll be this far, by this date we’ll be this far,” said Councilman Doug Emerson.
In May, 2002 the Regional Water Quality Control Board imposed a building moratorium in Hollister following a 15 million gallon sewage spill. Plans for a larger capacity wastewater treatment plant are 90 percent finished, according to Quilter. But, he added, the hold-up is in trying to figure out what to do with the water once it’s treated.
“We’re looking for a near-term solution, while we work towards an ultimate thing,” he said.
Quilter declined to comment on the specific suggestions he’ll make to the council. But he did say Council members will have a timeline for when phases of the project will be done.
“He’s going to give us details on things we can do and can’t do,” Councilman Brad Pike said.
Currently, treated wastewater is percolated into the ground, but according to Quilter, once the new treatment plant is completed there will be too much water to continue doing that.
The ultimate solution is to use the treated water for agricultural purposes, Quilter said. But because Hollister’s water has a high content of salts and other undisolved minerals that can be harmful to plants, more treatment to remove the minerals will be necessary before the water is suitable for agricultural use.
Former Mayor Tony Bruscia speculated that options for short-term answers to lifting the moratorium might include trading out capacity – reducing wastewater flow from existing entities, so new entities can come can come in without adding wastewater to the system. Also, if one entity is shut down, another entity can use the wastewater capacity that the former one used.
Pike hopes that Quilter will present a short-term solution that will get the building moratorium at least partially lifted so the city can begin attracting industrial businesses.
“As long as we’re on the right path toward an ultimate goal, I’m hoping they’ll give us leeway,” he said.
Luke Roney covers politics and agriculture for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at
lr****@fr***********.com
