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Recycled wastewater talks get serious
Howdy pardners!
BY PETER DUGRÉ
“The tough part of recycled water or some big water project is that you have zero (added supply) today and then 1,000 acre feet tomorrow, and you might not need all of it, but you have to pay for it.”
Someday Carpinteria’s copious aquifer could be continuously recharged with recycled wastewater. Filling the groundwater table with treated water was one option put on the table at a meeting to discuss a draft report on recycling wastewater that brought together representatives of the City of Carpinteria, Carpinteria Valley Water District and Carpinteria Sanitary District on Nov. 10. Robert Morrow of RMC Water and Energy presented initial findings in the study done at the request of the agencies to consider reusing water that would otherwise go down the drain and eventually into the ocean. Motivated by the –– Rob Morrow current drought, the study is a first step “to diversify the water portfolio,” in the words of presenter Rob Morrow of RMC. Morrow presented on limitations to such a system founded both in cost and applications for recycled water at varying degrees of treatment. The Water District typically consumes around 4,000 acre-feet per year of water, and the Sanitary District could supply up to 1,200 acre-feet per year. At a minimum, the Sanitary District would have to upgrade to tertiary treatment in order to apply the water to lawns at public facilities like schools and parks. Reverse osmosis would have to be added for agricultural applications, and advanced water treatment would be necessary to recharge groundwater. Morrow said depending on treatment level and infrastructure, groundwater recharge could be accomplished by either creating a basin through which the water can percolate into the earth or drilling an injection well. Some combination of groundwater recharge and irrigation uses would allow for the greatest use of recycled water. A difficulty presented by a Carpinteria recycled water project is the proximity of the Sanitary District treatment plant, which borders the state beach, to potential
WASTEWATER continued on page 5
BILL SWING
Carpinteria High School cheerleaders added some giddy up to their go at halftime of the Nov. 6 football victory over Fillmore High School. The giant production of the Western-themed show included the band and CHS Muses acting out the tying of a girl to the tracks by a villain of the old West. Other festivities also harkened back to yesteryear by celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first Warrior football CIF title won by the 1975 team. For more photos, turn to Sports on page 17.
Economic Forecast says Carpinteria needs professional growth BY LEA BOYD
While the state continues to enjoy economic expansion and Carpinteria follows suit, a positive long-term forecast demands that new jobs be added in the professional sector to compensate for a continued decline in farming and manufacturing jobs. In a report to the Carpinteria City Council on Nov. 9, Mark Schniepp, director of The California Economic Forecast, said that future job growth in Carpinteria should come in information and professional services, education and health care, management and finance. “Those are going to be the jobs of the future,” Schniepp said. “Those are what will be growing in other places in California. And hopefully we’ll be able to see them grow here too.” Currently agriculture and manufacturing are the top two job providers in Carpinteria, but both are declining job sectors. Farming accounted for over 1,700 local jobs in 2001 but dropped to 1,400 this year. In 2014, flower and avocado growing both enjoyed peak production years yet provided fewer jobs than they have in the
Currently agriculture and manufacturing are the top two job providers in Carpinteria, but both are declining job sectors. last 15 years. “With technology in farming, particularly in avocados and flower production, you’re not going to see as many workers needed here,” said Schniepp. Manufacturing is similarly contracting due to outsourcing, technology innovations and robotics. It supplied almost 1,700 jobs in 2001 and is down to less than 1,200 in 2015. “Though this is one of the largest sectors
FORECAST continued on page 5