Sewage Is Subject to Only Partial Treatment
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People who want a clean ocean and beaches in Orange County should note that their sewage is being dumped into the ocean via a 301(h) waiver that allows the Orange County Sanitation District to discharge only partially treated sewage into the ocean.
According to the federal Clean Water Act, all sewage should receive secondary treatment that removes most of the solids, bacteria and viruses from what gets flushed down the toilet. The waiver, however, permits the Sanitation District to only treat half of the sewage to this level.
It’s no wonder beach closures are occurring and fish in the ocean are showing lesions in their livers. The cost of treating all sewage to secondary levels is only a nickel a day per person. I think most people in Orange County would gladly pay this minimal amount to have a clean ocean and be sure that when they go into the ocean that they wouldn’t be exposed to diluted sewage from 2.4 million people in Orange County.
Jan D. Vandersloot
Newport Beach
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