Upgrades are done to the Lessalt Water Treatment Plant as part of a broader plan to improve water quality in the Hollister area, according to the Hollister Urban Area Water Project.
The project is a multi-district endeavor headed up by local water agencies that involves major construction projects such as improvements to Lessalt located along Fairview Road. In August, the Hollister City Council unanimously approved the Hollister Urban Area Water Project along with rate hikes—effective in January—to pay for $30 million in capital and maintenance costs largely related to lowering salt content in groundwater. State regulators have threatened fines if federal water standards are not met. Those same regulators fined San Juan Bautista $136,000 for failing to meet water standards last year.
After Lessalt, the next phase in the project is construction of the West Hills Treatment Plant to treat up to 4.5 million gallons a day of imported water. Together, the two plants will increase the quality of drinking water throughout the area and will allow Hollister and Sunnyslope districts to decrease pumping of groundwater, according to the water project announcement.
A public open house will be scheduled for March with tours of the facility. For more information, call (831) 637-8218 or email
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