Morro Bay’s Unreliable Drinking Water Sources – New Concerns Emerge

By LINDA STEDJEE

The City of Morro Bay gets up to 90% of its drinking water from the State Water Project. State Water has proven to be an unreliable source due to supply limitations resulting from drought. In late 2009, the City received word that, due to drought conditions, it might receive only 5% of its expected 2010 allocation of water from the State system. However, drought is only part of the reason why Morro Bay’s dependence on State water is of concern to some residents. The reliability of the State Water Project’s water delivery infrastructure is an equally serious issue.

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The Morro Bay–Cayucos Wastewater Treatment Plant Project – Where Did All the Money Go?

By LINDA STEDJEE

As of December 31, 2011, the Morro Bay-Cayucos wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) replacement project had cost Morro Bay and Cayucos taxpayers over $2,260,347.56.This figure includes $1,820,802.57 for consulting work, $222,684.77 for City of Morro Bay staff labor, $205,713 for Cayucos Sanitary District (CSD) legal review work, and $11,147.22 for miscellaneous expenses. Figures were derived from data contained in City of Morro Bay financial reports, staff reports, contracts, and invoices, and from data provided to The Rock by the CSD. Missing from the total are significant project expenses that were not tracked and recorded. Those include the costs of CSD staff labor, City of Morro Bay staff labor prior to 2006, and City of Morro Bay legal work.

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Morro Bay City Council Ignores California Coastal Commission Staff Recommendations -- Again

By LINDA STEDJEE

Denying four appeals, and apparently unfazed by a four-page letter from California Coastal Commission (CCC) staff, the Morro Bay City Council voted on Tuesday, December 13, 2011 to allow a controversial development project to move forward. The project, a residential development to be built on scenic Cerrito Peak, was proposed by Morro Bay realtor and developer Dan Reddell.

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UPDATE: FEMA Flood Map Revision: New Concerns

By LINDA STEDJEE

As reported in the September 28, 2011 Rock of the Coast story, “FEMA Map Revision Raises Concerns in Morro Bay”, a FEMA flood map revision project for a proposed wastewater treatment plant site appears to have been done, “under the radar”. Information contained in meeting agendas and minutes appears to indicate that the project, and thus the expenditure of taxpayer dollars, was never approved by the Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) Board.

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Morro Bay-Cayucos Reclaimed Water Survey Questioned by Residents

By LINDA STEDJEE

Some residents of Morro Bay and Cayucos have noted that the Morro Bay City Council and the Cayucos Sanitary District (CSD) Board appear reluctant to include water reclamation facilities in the Morro Bay-Cayucos wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) replacement project. To some, a water reclamation survey recently sent to 300 residents appears seems to indicate continued resistance to water reclamation.

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MORRO BAY DESALINATION PLANT CONCERNS: Questions Raised Regarding Permit Issues and Plant Expansion

By LINDA STEDJEE

The City of Morro Bay desalination plant is used to treat seawater from offshore wells near the Embarcadero and groundwater from the City’s Morro Basin well field. Treated water is delivered to the City’s drinking water distribution system. Several aspects of plant operation have been sources of concern to Morro Bay residents. Concerns focus on permit issues, alleged environmental damage, and the possibility that $3 million spent on a major plant expansion would have been better spent for other purposes.

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The Liquefaction of Los Osos

By ED OCHS

Liquefaction caused widespread damage in the recent New Zealand and Japan earthquakes, but despite compelling evidence of the serious hazards, it has been ignored by SLO County in planning the $200 million Los Osos Wastewater Project in a high-risk liquefaction zone. Experts agree that the County needs to face the facts and take action now before it's too late.

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