Tag archives: recycled water

Living in Unprecedented Times: Water in Montecito
By Sharon Byrne   |   May 10, 2022

Last week, the Metropolitan Water District of Los Angeles ordered outdoor water usage to be restricted to one day per week, starting June 1. This order affects six million people in Los Angeles, San Gabriel Valley, San Fernando, San Bernardino, and southern Ventura County. All outdoor watering in these areas could be banned by September […]

Studies Are Vital in Policy Process
By Montecito Journal   |   May 3, 2022

I look forward to reading the studies that the Montecito Water and Montecito Sanitary districts have jointly commissioned, one by Carollo Engineers to evaluate recycling options and the other by Raftelis to explore the pros and cons of a business case for district consolidation.  The need for recycled water supplies is rather self-evident.  The self-evident case […]

An Unknown Roadmap: Breaking Down Montecito’s Recycling Plan Options
By Bob Hazard   |   April 29, 2021

Last Thursday, the Montecito Water District and Montecito Sanitary District held a joint strategic planning meeting to discuss options for a joint effort to recycle most of the 500,000 gallons a day of treated Montecito wastewater, now being dumped into 35 feet of ocean water, 1,500 feet off Butterfly Beach in Montecito, a practice whose […]

Montecito Sanitary District Latest
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   July 30, 2020

The project being proposed at the Montecito Sanitary District campus was also at MBAR last week, for further conceptual review of a new Essential Services Building and associated improvements. Architect Brian Cearnal outlined the project, which includes a new 5,000-sq-ft Essential Services building with a new 17-space parking lot, lighting and landscaping, multiple solar canopies, […]

Which Way Water Security?
By Nick Schou   |   June 25, 2020

Anyone carefully watching the progress of MWD’s “Water Supply Agreement” (WSA) with Santa Barbara already knows that it is almost a foregone conclusion that the agency’s board of directors will have already approved this deal by the time you’re reading these words. Yet as historic as today’s vote is, or was, there are still several […]

Land Use Committee Discusses MSD Plans
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   April 9, 2020

On Tuesday, April 7, the Montecito Association Land Use Committee met via Zoom to discuss an upcoming project in Montecito: a proposed project by the Montecito Sanitary District that includes a new 5,000-sq-ft Essential Services building with a new 17-space parking lot, lighting and landscaping, multiple solar canopies, and a new recycled water treatment system, […]

Montecito Association Meets Remotely
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 19, 2020

On Tuesday, March 17, the Montecito Association Board of Directors met via teleconference. The Board discussed a proposed project by the Montecito Sanitary District that includes a new 5,000-sq-ft Essential Services Building with a new 17-space parking lot, multiple solar canopies, and a new recycled water treatment system, as well as demolition of the existing […]

Down Our Drain?
By Dana Newquist   |   February 13, 2020

Not many people pay much attention to the Montecito Sanitary District. Neither did I. When solicited by the Water Security Team, I learned how change in the MSD direction was needed for several vital reasons. So, I became a candidate. Woody Barrett and I were voted by you, our community, in as directors, thank you! […]

Montecito Sanitary News
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   October 10, 2019

Montecito Sanitary District staff members Daniel Jacquez, Chief Plant Operator, and Marc Ciarlo, Operator Grade 5, recently received their Advanced Water Treatment Operator (AWTO) certifications. The AWTO certification program was recently developed using a nationally recognized process to define the roles and responsibilities for advanced wastewater treatment. This new certification program is jointly administered by […]

Montecito Water District Updates
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   November 1, 2018

MWD general manager Nick Turner provides an update on District happenings as we head into a new water year: October 2018 – September 30, 2019.  The 2017-2018 water year presented nearly every challenge a Water District might face: ongoing historic drought conditions, unprecedented climatic events, high-demand for fire protection, infrastructure devastation, disaster response, and community […]

Why I am Running for Montecito Sanitary District
By Woody Barrett   |   October 4, 2018

I am running for the Board of Directors of the Montecito Sanitary District because I want our neighborhoods to have a diversified and secure source of water for the safety and well-being of our community. Montecito deserves water security. Our family has called Montecito home going on 18 years. Our children all attended Montecito Union […]

Recycling Montecito Water
By Hillary Hauser   |   October 4, 2018

Heal the Ocean released its long-awaited study detailing the volume of potentially available water for a significant expansion of water recycling in California on September 26 – and coincidentally at the same time, the Montecito Water and Sanitary districts appear to be pulling together to develop recycled water for Montecito. As the final details of […]

Election 2018: Sanitary District Voters Have a Choice
By Bob Hazard   |   October 4, 2018

On November 6, Montecito voters will go to the polls. This year’s ballot contains an extreme rarity: a contested election for the Montecito Sanitary District (MSD) Board of Directors. For the first time in anyone’s memory, voters will choose among four different candidates running for two MSD seats. Why is this unusual? Because since 2000, […]

Recycled Water Latest
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   September 27, 2018

Montecito Water District’s (MWD) Strategic Planning Committee met September 20 to review the highly anticipated draft Recycled Water Feasibility Study and discuss feasible projects. The issue of recycled water in Montecito has been in the news of late, due to the ongoing drought as well as an election in November wherein there are multiple seats […]

Stepping Closer
By Montecito Journal   |   September 20, 2018

I would like to thank Dr. Edo McGowan for clarifying his position on recycled water with the residents of Montecito (“Water Warnings,” MJ #24/37). As quoted last year, he supports recycled water “as long as it’s done properly” (“It’s Where the Future Lies…” by Melinda Burns, Edhat and Independent, June 8, 2017). His words of […]

Montecito Sanitary Latest
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   September 6, 2018

At their board meeting last week, the governing Board of Directors of the Montecito Sanitary District (MSD) took action to clarify confusion in the community regarding the Sanitary District’s role in a recycled water project to serve the Montecito area.  MSD Board members Judith Ishkanian, Tom Kern, Jeff Kerns, Warner Owens, and Bob Williams, unanimously […]

Montecito Falling Behind on Recycled Water
By Bob Hazard   |   August 30, 2018

Recycling of treated wastewater is environmentally responsible and can create a significant new water supply for both landscaping water (sometimes referred to as non-potable or “purple pipe” water) by surface spreading, or even better, indirect potable reuse (IPR) by injecting the purified water into local groundwater basins as recharge water for later withdrawal as a […]

Buying the Montecito Water District
By Dick Shaikewitz   |   August 30, 2018

This November, three seats on the five-member Board of the Montecito Water District (MWD) will terminate, allowing interested candidates to run for the open positions. The MWD, formed in 1921 is governed by a majority vote of the five elected directors who serve four-year terms. These directors determine policy and approve the expenditure of funds […]

Desalination Celebrates One-Year Anniversary
By Bob Hazard   |   August 23, 2018

Santa Barbara mayor Cathy Murillo was able to take a well-deserved bow last week as she and Josh Haggmark, City Water Resources manager; Cathy Taylor, Water Systems manager; Randy Rowse and other civic leaders celebrated the one-year anniversary of the reopening of the City’s Charles E. Meyer Desalination Plant. All hailed the addition of desalinated […]

Water Security Required
By Montecito Journal   |   July 26, 2018

In his recent letter (“Recycled Water Warning,” MJ #24/28), Dr. Edo McGowan raises important issues associated with water quality. But these issues should not be a “stop sign” for water recycling. Instead, the issues need to be addressed as part of planning for water recycling and other new sources of water for our community. As […]