Los Olivos Wastewater Meeting May 15

Residents of Los Olivos formed the Los Olivos Community Services District (LOCSD) in 2018. The LOCSD was created to develop and build a wastewater treatment facility for the district, which consists of roughly 391 lots.

The first 30 percent basis of design was provided in 2022 by Stantec. The price tag was $46 million to $47.8 million. It was a gravity sewer wastewater collection and reclamation system and treatment plant to serve the 391 properties.

This was a gross underestimate of the actual cost. Why? Each property owner would have to pay $15,000 for a sewer lateral and the plan didn’t account for any contingencies, the cost of financing, or the ongoing operation and maintenance of the facility.

To say that property owners and residents were outraged at the massive scale of the treatment facility and the costs would be an understatement. Thus began a two-year odyssey to come up with a different solution that would cost property owners less and be less obtrusive.

On May 15 the district will receive a new 30 percent basis of design estimate from REGEN. This time the plan will focus on a combination of a gravity sewer, effluent sewer, and advanced onsite systems that again the 391 property owners will end up paying for.

If you are a property owner in Los Olivos you should consider attending this consequential meeting in person or by Zoom. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. on May 15, 2024, at 2374 Alamo Pintado Avenue.

The agenda packet for the meeting which will include Zoom instructions and the REGEN plan will be posted later this week at: https://www.losolivoscsd.com/regular-board-meetings