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Aging Campo water/sewer district to raise fees, refuse service
By Christy Scott
The Alpine Sun
CAMPO — Residents and board members at the Monday, Nov. 28 meeting of the Campo-Lake Morena Community Planning Group were told that the Campo Water and Sewer system has reached its capacity and that a new proposed policy for the system would prohibit new customers from hooking up.
“The system is right at the threshold and basically we don’t have adequate capacity for either the sewer or water system,” said Marti Eslambolchi, a member of the Department of Public Works Waste Water Management. “And what we do have available must be reserved for future public facilities.”
On Sept. 28, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted to create a policy for the allocation of excess capacity in the Campo water and sewer area. Eslambolchi attended Monday’s meeting to explain the new proposed policy to Campo residents.
“Connections to the existing water and sewer systems from future proposed developments outside of the Campo service area boundary will not be allowed,” he said.
According to Eslambolchi, the excess capacity, measuring about 50 equivalent dwelling units, must be reserved for future development of public facilities.
“There are several essential public facilities that are likely to be expanded in the coming years,” Eslambolchi said. “The excess capacity in the Campo system is limited and will be reserved for planned expansions of public facilities including county departments, service areas and special districts, and state and federal agencies.”
Eslambolchi said that capacity in the system will also be reserved for existing parcels with failing septic systems and will be handled by DPW on a case-by-case basis.
“If I already have my property inside the service area and I want to build a house, and hook up to water and sewer — I just come to you an you’ll give me a will-serve letter?” asked resident Mike Thometz.
According to Eslambolchi, under the proposed policy, will-serve letters for water and sewer, and sewer capacity commitments will not be issued to new private development in the area, even on existing parcels.
The existing Campo water and sewer facilities were built by the U.S. Army in 1941 to serve Camp Lockett used in World War II for cavalry training and border defense. According to county documents, in June 1950, the federal government transferred real property assets to the county from what was formerly known as Camp Lockett. Included with this transfer was a public water supply system and sewage treatment/disposal facility. The county has operated both systems since that time, primarily to serve the Rancho Del Campo Juvenile Facility and support county operations.
There are approximately 45 private customers who also depend on these water and sewer services.
The current capacity numbers do account for the Campo Hills development, which is nearly half built and has been selling homes.
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San Diego County
Zone A and Zone B, above, of the Campo Water and Sewer District, will both see rate raises, but at different times. |
When this development first came to the area, the company contributed more than $1.5 million to upgrade the Campo Water and Sewer facility so that it could get connections for the project.
“The existing sewer plan is really limited by the permitted capacity. It’s basically design capacity,” Eslambolchi said. “On the water side, a couple things are controlling this: storage capacity — we need to have emergency storage — and the basin itself, which has really never been studied.”
Eslambolchi agreed with many in the area, that a groundwater study for the whole Campo area really needs to be done.
According to waste water management staff, there are no plans to increase the capacity of the current Campo system.
An ordinance, signed by the supervisors earlier this fall regarding fees and charges for water and sewer services, stated that the standard rate for residential and commercial customers in Campo Hills, will be $150 per month. In addition to that, customers will be evaluated monthly to encourage conservation.
Customer whose water usage is in the highest 10 percent range will be charged an additional fee of $25, and customers in the lowest 10 percent, will receive a discount of $25.
Residents who do not live in Campo Hills, will, over the next five years, see an increase in the average water bill from $26 to $150.
“When fully implemented, these water charges will be comparable to the charges paid by Campo Hills residents,” reads the ordinance.
On Dec. 14, the policy will be presented to the San Diego
County Board of Supervisors with a motion to accept.
According to Eslambolchi, the county is currently looking for interested parties to purchase the Campo system from them. They have solicited eight other water agencies in the area to gauge interest for taking over operations of the Campo site.
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Christy Scott
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