OJAI VALLEY : Ways to Cut River Sewage to Be Studied

The Ojai Valley Sanitary District board has authorized a $1-million study of ways to keep treated sewage from polluting the Ventura River.

The board hired James M. Montgomery Consulting Engineers of Ventura to design improvements for the Ojai Valley sewage treatment plant to meet new state regulations.

The study will also look at the effect of the treated sewage--known as effluent--on the river.

The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board ordered the district in late spring to install new plant filters by July 1, 1993, to clean up the effluent before it is dumped into the river.

The plant treats sewage from 20,000 residents in Ojai Valley and Ventura north of Shell Road.

It discharges 2.1 million gallons of waste water per day into the river below Foster Park. From there, the waste water flows five miles to the ocean.

State biologists have determined that the river water south of the plant has such a low level of oxygen that fish cannot live in it.

The regional board said the waste water’s nutrient levels could be causing bacteria to consume the oxygen.

District officials said the four-year drought may be allowing bacteria to feed on more dead plants along the river.

However, Eric Oltmann, district general manager, said the new study could result in even tighter rules for the plant. If this occurs, Oltmann said he is worried that the plant will need more than new filters.

Adding the filters is expected to cost the district $6 million.

The State Water Resources Control Board has given the district a high priority for construction loans to install the filters, Oltmann said.

The district will also fund the project by selling bonds and raising sewer fees for its 11,000 customers.