-July 13,2019-
The California Coastal Commission approved the proposed new Morro Bay sewer plant this week in a 10 to 0 vote. Meeting in San Luis Obispo the Commission heard that while the facility would displace some ag grazing land the benefit of relocating the plant away from its present location on the oceanfront far outweighs the negative.
The staff report summarized that the proposed project meets Coastal Act consistency on many fronts—for the protection and enhancement of coastal resources, for providing essential public services to Morro Bay residents and visitors, and for providing adaptation and resiliency in an era of increased hazards exacerbated by climate change.
The Commission directed the City to propose a project of this type back in 2013, finding that a project that perpetuated the City’s water and wastewater status quo was not appropriate or consistent with the Coastal Act. The City responded to the Commission’s directive, and the proposed project is the end result that addresses the Coastal Act concerns previously raised by the Commission in a way that provides a more sustainable wastewater and water supply future for the City. As conditioned, the proposed project is consistent with the Coastal Act, and staff recommends approval of the CDP.
The project includes construction of a new one million gallon per day advanced treatment facility on South Bay Boulevard north of Highway 1, two new lift stations, approximately 3.5 miles of pipelines and wells to inject the purified water into the groundwater aquifer, which can be extracted for reuse through the City’s existing infrastructure. The current schedule includes construction beginning in 2019 and project completion by 2023.