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Torri Barrett

James Barrett
Revised:  07/04/07

It Only Takes a Spillage

by Torri Barrett

For years I have heard that the existing sewer ponds are inadequate for any large growth in Salton City. There has been meetings and proposals here and there but so far nothing has been done. About 3 years ago a company called Baswood was going to build a digester plant to take care of the looming problem but to no prevail that plan fell through. Then a new plan took shape to pipe Salton City’s sewage to new drying ponds on 480 acres of district property just southeast of town and that was proposed over a year ago. The district has spent $50,000 on an engineering firm and a rough road has been plowed out to the proposed pond site where perk tests were done. But because of ground water and the closeness of the sea to these new pond sites more sophisticated testing is needed for the Water Quality Board, who is watching our situation very closely.

With all the new residents that have come to our fair city, we are now over the capacity of these aged drying ponds and have had to build an emergency overflow pond, but what will happen when the houses that are empty now start to fill with families who will be using their washers, dishwashers, showers and flushing their toilets? Where will that sewage go if we are over capacity now? What are the dangers of a spillage to the properties around the now antiquated ponds? What about the SEA shore that is just a little over a mile downhill from those ponds?

If you ever wondered where the sewer ponds are they sit on a 40 acre site just off of Salton Dr and Lansing Ave, there are two washes that run on the east and south sides of the sewage pond area and the largest wash is called Arroyo Salada. What would happen if the sewer ponds overflow into one or both of these washes? Environmental catastrophe to the Sea is just one possibility. Cleanup would cost millions of dollars and we all know who would pay for it, us the land owners that’s who. We need a solution and fast. One Director came up with an idea of using both Sewerjet Pumping Trucks the district owns to make multiple trips up to the Desert Shores sewer ponds on a daily basis to relieve some of the burden on our collapsing sewer system. It was quickly pooh-poohed because another director said “it’s a little premature” and the District Manager explained that the cost would be outrageous. What is so outrageous about two workers that are on the clock anyway and the gas for the trucks? What about the cost to us the land owners if a spill happens? Do we the taxpayers get to say no to that cleanup, cost too much? We know the answer to that is NO! What about the people who own land around the capacity filled ponds? Has anyone thought about what is happening to their land right now with seepage? They may live out of town and not know what is happening right in their back yards.

The time to speak out is now! Because it only takes a spillage.