Demand Scientific Study Completion to Avoid Potentially Unnecessary Rate Increase
Contact the State Water Resources Control Board today to be heard
All of us who work or live in the Santa Clarita Valley should be concerned about a potentially unnecessary quadrupling of our sewer bills if our voices are not heard. In the next few months the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) will consider the approval of the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board’s 2006 decision to shorten the Santa Clarita Valley Sanitation Districts (District) agreed upon timeline which included five years for scientific studies and public outreach.
This decision to modify the existing Upper Santa Clara River Chloride Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) implementation schedule forces the District to commitment to building an advanced treatment facility before scientific studies are completed to determine if the facility is necessary. This could result in a premature commitment to advanced treatment costing the Santa Clarita Valley community more than $350 million.
To avoid rushed and costly upgrades, the District should be given enough time to complete scientific studies and continue successful public outreach and source reduction efforts. Please voice your opinion to the State Water Board and ask them to restore the schedule to its original timeline and therefore allow the District to complete scientific studies before committing the community to pay $350 million for advanced treatment.
Sample Letter Text:
The results of scientific studies to determine appropriate standards for chloride in the Santa Clara River are essential to designating the appropriate chloride level for the Santa Clara River. A proper solution for this watershed can not be formed until all data are available. Please give the Santa Clarita Valley Sanitation District the opportunity to do what’s best for the river and the community by restoring the original TMDL schedule to allow for completion of the necessary scientific studies and development of an environmentally sound and cost effective solution.
– or –
As a Santa Clarita Valley community member, I want to do what’s best to preserve the Santa Clara River. It is important to allow sufficient time to complete the scientific studies and identify the solutions. The revised schedule does not allow for full consideration of the scientific studies or for a thorough evaluation of compliance strategies. Restoring the original schedule is the only way we can ensure we’re not acting on unproven standards. Give the Santa Clarita Valley Sanitation District the time originally promised to lower chloride levels in our community through source control measures, so we can approach this issue with a solution that’s best for the Santa Clara River and the community.
Comments may also be sent to:
Song Her, Clerk to the Board
State Water Resources Control Board
1001 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Or can be faxed to (916) 341-5620
