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South San Luis Obispo Sanitation District

After settlement negotiations failed to resolve the Administrative Civil Liability complaint against South San Luis Obispo County Sanitation District, for violations related to a sanitary sewer overflow on December 19-20, 2010, the case went to hearing.  The prosecution alleged that the overflow was caused by controllable factors, including delayed maintenance and repair, incorrect standard operating procedures, and failed risk assessment and mitigation issues. The parties disagreed about the volume of the overflow and the harm caused by the spill, which included significant property damage to homes and raw sewage backing up into neighboring homes.

After an evidentiary hearing on September 7, 2012, the Board issued an Order against the District for $1,109,812.80.  Specifically, the Board found a number of causes of the spill presented by the prosecution persuasive, although it did use one of the District’s methods for calculating the volume of the spill.  The Board selected the highest possible factors based on the harm or potential for harm to beneficial uses and the biological characteristics of the discharge.