Dairies Must Build Waste Runoff Ponds

The California Regional Water Quality Control Board voted unanimously Monday to give three North County dairies 60 days to install waste retention ponds or face court action.

Each of the three dairies had been studied by state regulators, who analyzed their corral runoff and dairy waste discharges (water and manure) for organisms harmful to water quality and infectious to humans. They also had been the subjects of complaints by neighbors, claiming the runoff from the dairy operations was polluting nearby land.

The dairies affected by the rulings are the Frank Gonsalves Dairy and the Weary River Ranch Dairy near Escondido and the Whelan Dairy in Oceanside. The Verboom Dairy Ranch in Valley Center, which also had been under scrutiny by the board, has begun work on planning a retention pond, said David Barker, an engineer for the water district, and was not included in Monday’s order.

Barker said the dairies were given 30 days to present design plans for the retention ponds and another 30 days after that to have the ponds in operation.

“We’re willing to work with them to help them out with the situation,” Barker said. “But it’s very important that they be brought into compliance with state law as well. We’ll start setting down the guidelines for the designs this week. In some cases, it involves digging new holes, or expanding existing ponds.”

Barker said state laws requiring retention ponds and other means of regulating runoff from dairies have been in effect since 1975, but that there has been little effort to enforce them in San Diego County. “This has been an ongoing problem,” Barker said. “We’re trying to issue rulings to begin regulating the issue, but this is the first time the dairies have ever been taken to task on this.”

Should any of the dairies refuse to comply with the ruling, Barker said, they could be liable for financial penalties or court action. “We had indications from all three that they would be willing to comply,” he said, “so we don’t expect any major problems.”

Garret Brower, operator of the Weary River Ranch Dairy, said he thought the board’s ruling was “very fair.” Brower estimated he would have to spend $6,000 to comply with the order. “We presented our plan already at the meeting,” Brower said. “We’re all lined up to start work on it this week, so we don’t have any problem with the ruling.”

Frank Gonsalves said he would have to build a dam to trap storm runoff--a measure he said would cost at least a few thousand dollars and would represent “a hardship.” Nevertheless, he said the order seemed fair. He said he had feared being fined, “which will be really a hardship on me.”

Ivan Wood, manager of Whelan Dairy, could not be reached for comment.