New Sewer Cap | Improved Utility Billing | Rainy Season is Coming

Fall 2012 Volume 16, Issue 4

YOUR UP-TO-DATE CONTACT INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT

It happens more than you would think. The City gets a

call; massive amounts of water are flowing down the

street from a broken pipe. We respond to the call, but

no one is home and we don’t have a valid telephone

number to notify the customer of the problem.

Meanwhile, hundreds of gallons of water are wasted and

the customer is stuck with a huge water bill.

The moral of the story; Make sure the City’s Utility Billing office has your up-to-date contact information in case an emergency like this arises. To verify your account information, please update your

profile through our online Utility Billing system or call us at (805) 781-7133.

HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS ISSUE:FROGS in Your Sewer Line | Protect Our Creeks | Your Dollars at Work

HEADS UP…New Sewer Cap Period Starting in November

It’s that time again—the next period for establishing your sewer cap for 2013–14 is coming up. The new sewer cap

becomes effective each July 1, and is re-established

annually by averaging your household’s last three

winter billing cycles. So, as the temperature cools and

the winter rains begin, turn your irrigation down or off

during the sewer cap period to save money all year

long on your sewer charges.

Because billing cycles vary depending on the meter-

reading route, winter water use periods may vary by a

couple of weeks. To find out when your period begins

and ends, visit our website, slowater.org, and click

on “winter water use schedule” or call (805) 781-7133

for more information.

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This is the eighth and final article in a series intended to inform

you, the water and sewer customer, about the journey water

takes to reach homes and businesses, and what happens to it

when it goes down the drain or toilet. Along the way, we have

highlighted the various activities in the Utilities Department.

So far, you’ve learned about where your water comes from, the

water treatment process, how water is transported to your home

or business, the customer assistance programs the Utilities

Conservation section offers, the importance of the Environmental

Programs Section in protecting the wastewater system, the

wastewater collection operations and the wastewater treatment

process. The final piece of the story is where the treated

wastewater goes once it leaves the Water Reclamation Facility;

which brings us to the Recycled Water Program.

Water recycling has been part of the City’s overall water supply

strategy since the 1980’s. In 1994, the City completed a major

improvement project at the Water Reclamation Facility that

included the addition of treatment processes to meet the

stringent water quality requirements in place to protect San

Luis Obispo Creek, where a majority of the water is discharged.

Although a water-recycling program was envisioned at the time

of this upgrade, strict regulatory approvals are required to use

recycled water for landscape irrigation and other approved

uses, and the City did not obtain approval to begin using

recycled water until 2002. Four years later, the City completed

construction of the Water Reuse Project and recycled water

deliveries began. Today the water recycling program provides more than 150 acre-feet or 50,000 million gallons annually to parks, businesses, road medians and homeowner associations mainly on the southern and easterly portions of the City.

This ends our water journey but the story will continue. The water

and wastewater systems are complex systems of pumps, pipes,

processes and people. In future editions of the Resource we

will be providing more interesting information about how these

systems operate and the investments needed to keep them

running smoothly and efficiently.

Water Journey… Where Does it Come From and Where Does it Go?

WATER RATE STRUCTURE

STUDY NEARLY COMPLETE

The City Council has now had four study sessions

regarding how the City charges for water to

ensure that the community’s goals, objectives and

expectations are being met. The first session on

July 10 started with an explanation of the basic

fundamentals of water rate structure design. During

the second session on August 7, the City Council

discussed its goals and objectives, and prioritized

the top five goals for use in developing conceptual

rate structure designs. At the third and fourth study

sessions, the Council focused on how to create

revenue and rate stability while charging each

customer class in a fair and equitable manner. It is

important to note that this study is analyzing the way

in which the City structures water rates, and NOT the

cost of water.

The final meeting will be scheduled for November 13.

At this meeting, the council will make its final decision

and recommendations on changes it would like to

see in how the City charges for water service. Note:

no actual water rates will be discussed; only rate

structures will be discussed.

For more information, visit slowater.org or receive

updates from the Utilities Department’s Facebook

page at facebook.com/SLOUtilitiesDepartment.

The Damon Garcia Sports Fields in San Luis Obispo, one of many locations that util izes recycled water for landscape irrigation.

3

Property owners know there are a million and one things they

should do to protect their investment. But there is one very

important activity that is often overlooked – maintenance of the

private sewer lines that connect your home to the City’s sanitary

sewer system.

Every home has a sewer line, also known as a “ sewer lateral”. In

the City of San Luis Obispo, the property owner is responsible for

the sewer lateral from their home to the

City’s sewer main. This line carries

sewage from indoor plumbing fixtures‚

like toilets‚ tubs‚ sinks‚ showers‚

dishwashers and laundry machines,

to the public sewer system. The

term “FROG” is an easy way to

remember four things that can block

your private sewer lines: Fats‚ Roots‚

Oils‚ and Grease.

Here’s what you can do to keep your

private sewer line FROG-free:

As the rainy season approaches, it’s time to think about the

things we can do to reduce the amount of pollutants that flow

into our creeks with the first rains. It is important to remember

that anything dumped or dropped on the ground or in a gutter

contributes to water pollution.

Simple Things You Can Do to Protect Our Creeks

•  Never flush non-soluble objects down your toilet. This includes food, sanitary napkins, cleaning rags, diaper wipes, including those items labeled 'flushable.'

•  Be sure to use a licensed plumber when having your sewer lateral televised or repaired.

•  Repair or replace deteriorated or damaged private sewer lines as soon as possible.

•  Do not plant trees or large shrubs on your property above or within approximately 10 feet of your private sewer line. Also‚ opt for trees or shrubs without aggressive root systems in that area.

•  Never pour fats‚ oils or grease down the kitchen sink. Collect them in an empty jar or can and discard it in the trash. Or‚ soak up grease with an absorbent material‚ like kitty litter‚ and throw that in the trash.

With adequate inspection‚ assessment‚ cleaning and repair

of private sewer lines – and by preventing fats‚ roots‚ oils and

grease from entering pipelines in the first place – property

owners can avoid messy and costly sewage backups and spills.

Here are a few things you can do to help:

•  Clean up your pet waste!•  Turn down or off your irrigation system; this will help

lower your water and sewer bill as well•  Keep trash and recycling container lids secure to

prevent debris from blowing out of containers and into the street

•  Keep sidewalks and gutters free of debris and other pollutants like motor oil

ARE THERE FROGS IN YOUR SEWER LINE? Fats, Roots, Oils and Grease

Main City Water Supply Pipeline Gets a Facelift The above ground portion of the pipeline that brings water to

the City from Salinas Reservoir recently got a long overdue

re-coating. The pipeline is about 50 years old and had never

been repainted. The topography of the area surrounding

approximately 3,300 feet of pipe located in Stenner Canyon just

north of the City, is a steep rocky slope approaching 45 degrees

in some areas. Because of the steep angle, rocks and soil had

eroded from the hillside above causing exterior damage to the

pipe’s paint. The new coating system is expected to provide an

additional 50 years or more of life to the waterline. The total cost

of the project was close to $250,000.

UTILITIES DEPARTMENT879 Morro StreetSan Luis Obispo, CA 93401

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDGOLETA, CA

PERMIT NO. 1215

Designed by: Verdin Printed on recycled paper4

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YOUR DOLLARS AT WORK

Salinas Reservoir Booster Pump Station Refurbishment

Constructed as part of the original Salinas Reservoir project by the Army Corps of Engineers back in the 1942, the booster pump station located just north of the top of Cuesta Grade is getting its first major upgrade since the original construction. The work includes installing new energy efficient pumps, electrical panels and communication technology that will automate processes currently performed manually. The pump station is a critical part of the Salinas Reservoir water delivery system, which accounts for about 40% of the City’s water supply. The booster pumps push water up and over the grade allowing it to flow to the City’s water treatment facility. The cost of the project is roughly $1.5 million.