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Water board lifts septic tank orders on 38 Los Osos homes

September 30, 2014

lososos sewerBy JOSH FRIEDMAN

Against the recommendation of its staff, the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board has rescinded orders that required some Los Osos homeowners to spend thousands of dollars treating their septic tanks while waiting for the construction of a sewer system.

In 2006, the water board mandated that 50 homes connect to a planned sewer as soon as possible, and in the interim, pump their septic tanks every three years in order to pass inspections. The water board later reduced the number of homes to 38, but many of the homeowners selected had to spend thousands of dollars treating or upgrading their septic tanks.

The water board said it selected the homes randomly, but critics suggest that opponents of the Los Osos sewer project were targeted for enforcement. Some of the selected homeowners sued the water board over the enforcement orders.

San Luis Obispo County, the current owner of the sewer project, already has an ordinance in place mandating that Los Osos residents connect to the wastewater system once it is completed. However, the county board of supervisors has yet to adopt rules and regulations for how to go about connecting homes to the sewer.

More than 4,000 septic tanks must be dug up in the process.


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If any student of politics wants to learn the definition of electioneering , they have to look no further than what the RQWCB did to Los Osos.


Also they will learn what is meant by a board that has the ultimate power to be judge , jury, and executioner… all in one.


And hardly a wimper about all this from any elected official, ever.


Chairman Wolff admits the CDOs were unfair. Really?


Thank God unfairness is not a crime , otherwise Mr. Young and Mr. Briggs could be spending some quality time together.


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Ha ha ha….you guys in Los Osos…at least Sex in the office after hours and then the resulting Cover-up doesn’t pollute the Bay.


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The CDOs served their purpose: to put fear into the minds of LO voters. Other problems? Why was the vote not anonymous? Why am I paying for a sewer but the property 100 meters from my property is not? Does their poop not pollute? Why isn’t the entire town paying for the sewer? We all pay for schools, fire/police protection whether we use it or not. Why can’t I opt out of the sewer if I can show I’m not polluting (read: gray water recycling and composting toilets)? This entire nightmare is a case of bad/corrupt government at its finest. This story is long from being over.


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Oh and here is another error in the article, “In 2006, the water board mandated that 50 homes..” That is incorrect. They mandated that 50 Homeowners,not homes go though this mess with the bizarre result that if the HOME sold the CDO disappeared! Thats right, same house, same septic tank and same discharge was released from requirement because the HOMEOWNER was different.


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Moderator please add this to my comment above.

This way akin to getting a speeding ticket and not having to pay the fine because you sold the car!


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And so ends a sad sad example of government abuse, I see no mention in the article that the water board also offered an apology to the homeowners (Which it did) I hope the people that had to pay for all the extra pumping can somehow recoup their losses though I doubt it.


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Perhaps they can recoup their losses by submitting their bills to the former recall board who scoffed at Roger Briggs repeated warnings about enforcement actions should they stop the project. They ignored him and even said “He doesn’t have the resources to issue enforcement actions or levy fines.” Weren’t they surprised.

This is only a fraction of the damage done to the community of Los Osos by the recall CSD.


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That makes no sense at all. How can someone sue a former CSD director for the egregious actions of a State run enforcement board?


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The “egregious act” was committed by the recall board. The enforcement action was the result.

Do a little history.


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The enforcement action has been apologized for. Do a little living in reality


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One should be able to sue a s$#@ all STUPID arrogant former board member(s) that stopped a going, funded, vetted, contracted for project! That BARELY got into office by telling false tales to frightened seniors, THEN bankrupted their agency and cost those homeowner senior twenty five large ($ 25,000 give or take a few tucks).


SchickerTackerCesena et al, the most profoundly arrogant, stupid, and costly board of it’s size in America. Caltrans employees (most of them), the stupidest and most costly @#$@# of any similarly sized governmental subdivision anywhere in America.


Our Los Osos property is out $ 24,900 thanks to dip@!!.


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“Water board lifts septic tank” what did they find?


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Former CSD members.


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