City Chips In for Creek Cleanup Study
The Camarillo City Council has voted unanimously to contribute $180,000 to a $1.8-million study to examine ways to clean up Calleguas Creek that city officials hope will save the city millions of dollars in the long run.
The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board recently listed all four branches of the Conejo and Calleguas creeks downstream of the Camarillo Sanitary District as “impaired,” meaning that substances are present in the treatment plant discharge, including ammonia, nitrates, sulfates and chlorides.
Officials say construction of facilities to reduce levels of the substances discharged to the creek, which runs from the Santa Susana Mountains to Point Mugu, would cost the sanitary district millions of dollars.
They hope data from the study will indicate that some discharge standards may be too restrictive.
“The intent of the study is not to get out of our duty,” said Public Services Director Robert Westdyke.
“Our intent is to do all and everything required, but not do more than required and spend more money than we have to,” Westdyke said.
The Calleguas Municipal Water District will pay half the cost of the creek study.
Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Ventura County Waterworks District No. 1 and the Camrosa Water District are also expected to help pay.
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