The San Benito Grand Jury’s latest report offered a relatively
glowing review of the Hollister Wastewater Treatment Plant, with
members saying they were impressed by its
”
state-of-the-art
”
operation while warning that continued high nitrogen levels in
its effluent could trigger punitive measures.
The San Benito Grand Jury’s latest report offered a relatively glowing review of the Hollister Wastewater Treatment Plant, with members saying they were impressed by its “state-of-the-art” operation while warning that continued high nitrogen levels in its effluent could trigger punitive measures.
The jury’s on-site inspection of the plant, located at 2690 San Juan Hollister Road, was done in response to a new, 10-year public/private partnership between Veolia Water West Operating Services and the City of Hollister.
The $100 million plant went into service in 2008, six years after the California Regional Water Quality Control Board imposed a building moratorium on Hollister after a failed berm led to 15 million gallons of treated sewage gushing into the San Benito River bed in May 2002.
The new treatment plant was deemed necessary to provide the additional capacity “for renewed community growth and economic revitalization,” the report stated.
The facility is designed to handle population growth through the year 2023, or a flow of 5 million gallons per day. It now handles approximately half that. It also is designed to treat wastewater to a higher standard to protect groundwater and allow it to be used for crop irrigation at some point in the future.
The Grand Jury noted that it conducted the on-site inspection in October 2010 “to collect and disseminate the information regarding the capabilities, limitations and benefits of the wastewater facility to the residents of San Benito County.” The jury reviewed plant operations, safety protocols and procedures and looked into the economic and environmental impacts of the plant.
“In many respects,” the reported noted, “the on-site inspection was a tutorial on the state-of-the-art in wastewater management.”
Technology makes it feasible for the facility to operate “with a minimal staff of highly trained and experienced operators,” the jury reported, adding that there were no safety violations or incident reports at the facility in 2010.
“This is a testament to the emphasis placed on safety and the technology deployed at the facility,” the report said.
See the full story in the Pinnacle on Friday.
