City Sues Water Board to Stop Septic Tank

The city has sued the Regional Water Quality Control Board over its decision to allow a septic tank at a proposed board-and-care facility in the college community.

In the lawsuit, which was filed late last week, Claremont officials allege that the board violated state environmental law by reversing a previous decision to reject a septic tank as a solution to waste at the facility on West Baseline Road. City officials say it would be a threat to local ground water, but water officials say no such threat exists.

Jorge Leon, attorney for the water board, said the board was completely within its rights last month when it reversed its decision opposing the septic tank.

Meanwhile, Leon has become the target of a complaint to state officials by Claremont City Manager Glenn Southard.

In letter to half a dozen top state officials, Southard said Leon made harassing phone calls to his staff after the city made a public records request for conflict-of-interest statements of the water board members. He said the city has the right to make such requests and Leon had no grounds to “aggressively question” why the city wanted them.

Leon denied harassing city officials, saying he was only seeking to clarify what the city wanted.