Improved waste water treatment bill dropped

Paul Clinton

Newport-Mesa -- With the Orange County Sanitation District

electing to step up treatment of its waste water and dropping the

pursuit of a controversial federal waiver, legislation to require

those two things is no longer necessary, the bill’s author said

Friday.

Assemblyman Ken Maddox, who would represent Costa Mesa if he wins

his seat again in November, has discarded the bill, but threatened to

revive it if the district doesn’t make enough progress toward

implementing full treatment of its waste.

The district, on July 17, voted to step up treatment of the

243-million gallons of partially treated waste waster it releases

into the ocean each day.

“We’re going to drop the bill,” Maddox said. “We’re going to

declare victory.”

Maddox introduced the legislation, known as Assembly Bill 1969, on

Feb. 14. It passed the Assembly, on a 62-8 vote, on May 29.

It had garnered the support of other state lawmakers, including

assemblymen John Campbell, who represents Newport Beach, and Tom

Harman, who represents Huntington Beach. It was also a favorite among

environmentalists, including the Ocean Outfall Group, a band of local

environmentalists lobbying for improved treatment of the sewage.

Doug Korthof, one of the three founders of that group, praised the

bill and said Maddox should have persisted with it. The bill would

have required the sanitation district to implement the new treatment

by 2008.

“It seems like the bill isn’t needed because the district is

already committed to full [treatment],” Korthof said. “I think it

would be good to have it to keep them honest.”

Sanitation district employees praised the decision and said they

couldn’t completely implement the full treatment before 2013. In

about three months, the district would be able to treat 65% of its

waste water to full treatment by maxing out the existing plant. To

step up to the 100% level, the district would need to construct a new

treatment facility.

“The bill really put a tight and impossible time frame on moving

to full [treatment],” said Lisa Murphy, the district’s spokeswoman.

“We’re glad that the locally elected officials were able to make the

decision. [They] have all the facts on the issue.”

The district’s 25-member board is made up of City Council members

from most of the county’s cities and a few local sewer agencies.

Maddox said he would ask the State Water Board to continue

monitoring the sanitation district to ensure they it continue to make

progress implementing the new treatment.

* PAUL CLINTON covers the environment and politics. He may be

reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail at [email protected].