Occidental still seeking a sewer solution

 Jamie Hansen, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
The latest in a series of efforts to clean up Occidental’s sewage discharge has stalled, ironically, over environmental concerns.
“It’s back to square one,” said Steve McNeal, a 13-year member of an informal ratepayers group seeking solutions to the small town’s wastewater problems.
Occidental, whose sewer system is run by the Sonoma County Water Agency, has been looking for a new way to dispose of its wastewater since 1997, when the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board ordered it to clean up its discharge to comply with water quality standards by 2008.
The water quality control board extended Occidental’s deadlines over the years, recognizing the financial challenges of updating such a small sewer system, but this February issued another order that authorities believe they must meet by 2018 or face huge fines.
Now, Occidental residents are seeking a fix with increased urgency, both because of the impending deadline and because residents and business owners are struggling to pay current rates. Sewage rates rose from $976 per household in 2005 to $1,682 in 2013, making them some of the highest in the state. And that’s with the Water Agency subsidizing rates to keep costs down for the roughly 100 customers in the tiny sewer district.
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