ON THE RECORD
Nicholas Schou
Nicholas Schou is an award-winning investigative journalist and author of several books, including Orange Sunshine and Kill the Messenger, his writing has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, The Atlantic, and other fine publications. If you have tips or stories about Montecito, please email him at newseditor@montecitojournal.net.
Let It Flow
T
he Montecito Sanitary District (MSD) was formed in 1947 with the sole purpose of collecting, treating and disposing of the community’s wastewater, but it didn’t actually come online as a completed sewage system and treatment facility until the early 1960s. Today, the MSD serves approximately 3,100 customers in Montecito, with only a scattered number of parcels still using their own septic systems. With a total of 76 miles of sewer lines, the system pumps approximately 550,000 gallons of waste per day, all of which ends up at the MSD’s treatment center at the end of a private road just south of the 101 Freeway. Earlier this week, I took a tour of the facility, along with Woody Barrett, one of MSD’s governing board of directors, and Alex Alonzo, the plant’s operations manager. Guiding the tour was Marc Ciarlo, a Grade 5
Operator, the highest level attainable in the state of California, and Daniel Jacquez, the chief plant operator. My visit began where everything that is flushed down the drain in Montecito ultimately ends up, at MSD’s inflow pump station. After descending two steep staircases – the pipe brings sewage into the facility a full two stories underground – we enter a small, slightly foul-smelling concrete chamber and gather over a steel grate. Several feet below us is a swift-moving river of raw sewage that has just arrived. Before the water is pumped upstairs into the treatment area, it must first pass through a channel grinder, a pair of motor-driven rotary cylinders with teeth that rip apart any trash or debris entering the facility. Because Montecito only has a few restaurants and hotels feeding into the pipes – Coast Village Road, being
Raw sewage entering the Montecito Sanitary District, two stories underground
part of Santa Barbara, isn’t part of the system – MSD doesn’t get the same variety of waste that most cities need to treat. That said, because of Montecito’s semi-rural nature, there are always unwanted travelers in the pipes. A rake propped up in the corner is used to pluck out stubborn pieces of non-organic material. “Large pieces of debris impact the performance of the pumps,” Ciarlo tells me. “Sometimes we get flushable wipes,” which gum up the works, he adds. “Don’t flush those.”
Unsurprisingly, MSD’s treatment facility operates on a diurnal schedule. During the night, when most people are asleep, the flow into the plant trickles to a stop. But by mid-morning, the flow begins its inexorable rise to a steady peak volume that lasts throughout the day and evening. There are instruments to measure the rise in flow, Ciarlo says. “If it’s an inch above the target set point, it sends a message for the motor to speed up.”
ON THE RECORD Page 454
HOLLISTER LAND AND CATTLE COMPANY (HLCC) DUCK CLUB
MEMBERSHIP FOR SALE L
ocated in Gustine California. 2850 acres of the finest duck hunting in California. HLCC keeps 1/3 of its property in reserve, providing a sanctuary for the migrating ducks. In turn, we maintain a 4.5 duck average harvest every time a hunter goes into the field. In early 2000, the Federal Government gave HLCC a "Scenic Easement" on the property. These funds have been invested in a commercial property. The funds from this investment provide 80% of the operations of the club. The sale of this membership will include a 1/4 interest in a cabin which has one bedroom with a bath, a bunk room with a bath, kitchen, and living room with satellite television. The cabin can sleep 7. All members of the cabin reside in Santa Barbara.
HLCC ia a corporation with 85 outstanding shares. You purchase one of these shares for $150,000. Contact: Steve Crosslsnd 2102 Forge Rd. Santa Barbara 93108 (c) 805 689-3309 (h) 805 969-6721
24 MONTECITO JOURNAL
“I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury.” — Groucho Marx
13 – 20 February 2020
