New Water Wise BusinessesThe following sites are now using recycled water for their landscape irrigation: •  Prefumo Creek Commons

•  Olive Garden

•  Hampton Inn & Suites

We thank you for your commitment to the wise use of San Luis Obispo’s water resources!

New Sewer Cap | Improved Utility Billing | Rainy Season is Coming

HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS ISSUE:Working Around the House | Water Rate Structure Study

Summer 2012 Volume 16, Issue 3

THE WATER JOURNEY: WHERE DOES IT COME FROM AND WHERE DOES IT GO?

This is the seventh in a series of articles intended to inform you, the

water and sewer customer, about the journey water takes to reach

homes and businesses, and what happens to it when it goes down

the drain or toilet. Along the way, we have highlighted some of the

various activities in the Utilities Department. So far, we’ve learned

about where your water comes from, the water treatment process,

how water is transported to your home or business, the customer

assistance programs the Utilities Conservation section offers,

and the importance of the Environmental Compliance section in

protecting the wastewater system and the wastewater collection

operations. Now, we’ll move on to the Water Reclamation Facility.

The City of San Luis Obispo’s Water Reclamation Facility is

responsible for treating all of the wastewater (sewage) within

the City, Cal Poly and the county airport. The facility treats

4.5 million gallons of wastewater daily, 24 hours a day, 365

days a year. Operators, laboratory analysts and maintenance

technicians ensure that the facility is operated and maintained

in the most efficient manner possible and complies with federal

state and local discharge requirements.

The Water Reclamation Facility has very stringent discharge

requirements and produces high-quality recycled water that

surpasses drinking water standards. Some of the water is

used to irrigate parks, median strips, landscape and other

appropriate uses. In our next Resource, the water journey will

end when we look at the Water Recycling Program.

The City of San Luis Obispo has a long history of treating

wastewater. During the 1920s, the City constructed one

of the first sewage treatment plants in the state and

has continued to improve the facility over the years by

increasing capacity and improving the quality of the

water that is discharged into San Luis Obispo Creek.

The City is committed to improving water quality in the

most efficient and effective manner possible.

Remember These Tips When Working Around the HouseWhile you are busy crossing those important home

projects off the list this summer, remember that proper

cleanup and disposal of the waste is just as important.

All of us want to keep San Luis Obispo beautiful. That means we all

need to do our part in keeping the streets clear of trash cans and

recycle containers, except on collection day. The City’s Municipal

Code actually prohibits storing waste containers on the sidewalks or

streets of residential areas, placing them out for collection for more

than 24 hours before pickup time, or leaving them out longer than

12 hours following pickup. Additionally, the containers must be

stored out of the public view in between collection days.

It’s also good to know the following guidelines so that you can be

certain your trash and recycling will be picked up:

•  Place your containers so that the hinged portion of the lid faces the curb.

•  Make sure there is space between your containers so the automated truck arm can operate properly.

•  Everything you want collected must be placed within (not outside of) the container.

•  Container lids must be fully closed or the container may not be picked up.

If you are unable to follow

these guidelines due to

physical limitations or other

similar reasons, contact

the San Luis Garbage

Company at (805) 543-0875

for assistance and

more information.

Here are some handy tips to keep pollution out of gutters,

storm drains and creeks:

•  Service companies, such as carpet or upholstery cleaners, should empty wastewater into a clean-out or other connection to the sewer at the property where they are working, not in a storm drain!

•  Landscapers should properly dispose of any yard waste or debris cleaned up. Yard waste and dirt should not be washed off into the gutter.

•  When painting, dispose of water used to clean equipment with latex paint into the sewer. Oil-based paints and solvents should never be disposed of in the sewer or storm drains. Excess latex or oil based paints can be taken to the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center at Cold Canyon Landfill free of charge.

•  Extra garden chemicals like fertilizers or herbicides and any other household hazardous waste should be properly stored or can be taken to Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center at Cold Canyon Landfill free of charge.

Go to iwma.com for more information on how to appropriately

dispose of household hazardous waste.

MAKE THE NEIGHBORS HAPPY!

Remember: Anything that finds its way into our gutters ends up in our creeks and flows untreated to the ocean.

2

Water Rate Structure Study IS UNDERWAY

By the time this issue of the Resource is delivered to your

home, the City Council will have had two study sessions

regarding how the City charges for water to ensure that

the community’s goals, objectives and expectations are

being met. The first session on July 10 explained the basic

fundamentals of water rate structure design. During the

second session on August 7, the City Council discussed its

goals and objectives, and prioritized the top five goals for use

in developing conceptual rate structure designs. It is important

to note that this study is analyzing the way in which the City

structures water rates, NOT to determine the cost of water.

THERE ARE THREE MORE MEETINGS PLANNED, WITH THE NEXT MEETING TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 18.

At this session, the council-recommended rate structure

goals will be presented to the community and open for

discussion. Based on the prioritization, up to 10 conceptual

water rate designs will be presented at this meeting. Note: No

actual water rates will be discussed; only rate structures will

be discussed.

For more information and to review the topics and dates of

future meetings, visit slowater.org or receive updates from

the Utilities Department’s Facebook page at facebook.com/

SLOUtilitiesDepartment.

UPCOMING SESSIONS:

SEPT 18TH OCT 16TH

3

UNDERSTANDING YOUR WATER AND SEWER BILLINGIn each edition of the Resource, we try to answer some of the

more frequently asked questions we hear. One such question is

“Why do the number of days in my billing cycle vary slightly from month to month?”First, your meter is read and you are billed 12 times a year.

However, your meter is not read on the same day each month for

several reasons. The most obvious is that we do not read meters

on weekends, so this can change the schedule by either adding

or subtracting the number of days in the billing cycle. Additionally,

meters are read Monday through Thursday, which allows our

Customer Service Representatives a dedicated day to work on

other maintenance needs in the system each week. Again, this

contributes to the number of days in the cycle. In order to have

12 monthly bills each year, you will notice that some cycles are

less than 30 days while others are more; over the course of a

year it all evens out.

Second, your bill is calculated and mailed the week after your

meter is read and is due upon presentation. It becomes delinquent

if not paid by the Monday of the week of your next bill. If you are

interested in knowing your meter-read schedule, or if you have

any general questions, feel free to contact the Utility Billing Office

at (805) 781-7133.

Send questions that might be of interest to others in the

community to Ron Munds at rmunds@slocity.org.

City of San Luis Obispo's Water Reclamation Facility

Multi-source water supply policy credited to successThe dry weather and water shortages troubling many other

communities statewide are not threatening San Luis Obispo. Even

if the worst-case drought conditions were to return to the county,

the City’s water supply would last well into 2024.

Today, our community has a unique balance of water efficiency and water supply, which is the exception in California.

UTILITIES DEPARTMENT879 Morro StreetSan Luis Obispo, CA 93401

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDGOLETA, CA

PERMIT NO. 1215

Designed by: Verdin Printed on recycled paper4

With strong leadership from the City Council and investment

by the community, the City has five different water sources that

include Salinas Reservoir, Whale Rock Reservoir, Nacimiento

Water Project pipeline, recycled water and limited groundwater

production. Combined, these sources add a level of water

supply reliability not seen by other communities.

For more information regarding the City’s water supply, view

the 2012 Water Resources Status Report at www.slocity.org/

utilities, or call (805) 781-7215 for more information.

Whale Rock Reservoir

CITY ’S WATER SUPPLY IN GREAT SHAPE

Our number of Facebook fans keeps growing! Launched back

in May, the Util ities Department’s Facebook page of fers the

most up-to-date information and money-saving tips about your

water and sewer uti l ities. Get news about the latest projects

that are planned or underway, ways to save money on your

water bil l, interesting facts about the water and sewer uti l ity

and much more. So like us on Facebook and join the conver-

sation at facebook.com/SLOUtilitiesDepartment.

Like Us on Facebook!NEW SEWER CAPS IN PLACE

Your water and sewer bill in August will reflect the new

sewer cap you established last December, January and

February during your “Average Winter Water Use” period.

The volume-based sewer rate structure implemented in 2007

went from a flat-rate billing system, in which everyone paid

the same no matter how much sewage they generated, to a

much more equitable system based on actual use.

For more information on how your sewer bill is calculated, go

to the Utilities Department website at slocity.org/utilities and

click on “How to Calculate Your Water and Sewer Bill.”