SANTA CLARITA, CA--(Marketwired - Oct 9, 2014) - The Santa Clarita Valley (SCV) Sanitation District won the unanimous approval today of the California Regional Water Quality Control Board-Los Angeles (Regional Board) of important technical changes to the State-mandated chloride (salt) compliance requirements in the Santa Clarita Valley that -- if approved by the State Water Resources Control Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by May of 2015 -- will reduce costs to Valley property owners and will prevent steep and recurring state fines, state penalties and potential federal fines. The SCV Sanitation District worked diligently over the last year to secure these changes as part of their commitment to build the least expensive and most environmentally sound project to meet the State-mandated chloride limit for the Santa Clarita Valley's two wastewater (sewage) treatment plants.
The SCV Sanitation District won State regulator's approval of these important changes that will reduce costs and prevent State fines:
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A four-year extension of the State's construction deadline to July 2019
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Averaging chloride concentrations over a 3-month period instead of daily maximum
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Flow-weighted averaging of chloride concentrations between the Valley's two wastewater treatment plants
"We are extremely pleased that we received the approval of the Regional Board of these important cost-saving changes," said SCV Sanitation District General Manger Grace Hyde. "If we can now secure the needed approvals at the State and Federal levels, we will be able to save our ratepayers up to $11 million," she continued, "because we would not have to build an expensive pipeline between the Valley's two wastewater treatment plants."
The approved extension of the State's construction timeline would prevent State penalties and fines that Valley property owners would have to pay, because the four-year extension gives the SCV Sanitation District the time needed to design and construct the advanced treatment facilities necessary to remove chloride from the Valley's treated wastewater.
A consortium of Santa Clarita Valley leaders spoke in support of the extension of the State deadline and the technical changes. Many expressed their strong commitment to continued collaborative efforts with the SCV Sanitation District, water agencies and others to make best use of the Valley's recycled water to help develop long-term, local water sustainability and reduce reliance on expensive, imported water.
Speaking in support of the proposed changes before the Regional Board were representatives from the Office of State Senator Fran Pavley and Office of State Assemblymember Scott Wilk as well as City of Santa Clarita Mayor Laurene Weste; Santa Clarita Councilmember Bob Kellar; Dan Masnada, Chief Operating Officer of Castaic Lake Water Agency; Holly Schroeder, President and CEO of the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation; Jeannie Duarte, President of SCVOneWater; Marta Golding Brown, Government Affairs Director of the Building Industry Association-LA Ventura Chapter; Chris Fall for Carl Kanowsky of the Valley Industrial Association; and Terri Crain, President and CEO of the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce.