Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) claimed for years it was "good for the Ocean". What the OCSD sewage waiver was really doing

Orange County Sanitation District had the longest tradition of poor treatment of sewage and the most arrogant attitude about their "waiver" which allowed them to skip some sewage treatment. Few had much hope the situation could be fixed, and many openly sneered or laughed at our chances. Yet a small group of citizens, concerned about Beach and Ocean quality amidst persistent beach closures, and desiring to improve business, surfing, swimming, boating, fishing, tourism and the habitat, created a multi-pronged, fantastic storybook campaign that cleaned the beach and led to improved water qualtiy. Despite a viper's pit of paid biostitutes, bribed politicians, paid-off consultants, tame Regional Water Board, never-ending million dollar "studies", and outrageous special interests, the campaign won thanks to: Daily picketing by Joey Racano and others, City-by-city campaign led by Jan Vandersloot, Larry Porter, and others, that brought 15 of the 25 cities in the District over to the clean side, Irvine Company, Joan Irvine Smith, Steve Bone, and other business leaders, Assistance by civic-minded Council members from HB, La Habra, Orange, La Palma, Seal Beach, etc., About 5,000 concerned Citizens contacted by the Sierra Club, Surfrider, and Earth Resource Foundation, State intervention led by then-Assemblymembers Ken Maddox and Alan Lowenthal. Now, the Beach is cleaner, the "mysterious" closures due to sewage dumping have stopped, and the battle moves on to San Diego, the last waiver!

1. Citizens stopped the Orange County Sewage waiver 2. Goleta waiver eliminated thanks to Citzens and local groups 3. Morro Bay Waiver abandoned 4. San Diego Sewage waiver must be stopped! Ocean Outfall Group calls for: Full treatment of sewage, Stop the waiver!

San Diego sewage apologists say "our level of treatment is good enough", despite evidence of loss of plankton and other sea life, and diversion of attention to the admittedly contributory "urban runoff" and "on-shore sources". When the people find out about the S.D. waiver, they will not like it nor those who hoodwinked them all these years (since 1995, when a certain Long Beach Congressman got them a waiver by a special act of congress). Could sewage be good for San Diego, and bad for everyone else? San Diego sewage backers stated that their "conditions" were much different than Orange County ... much as OCSD had stated that Orange County was "special" and different from everyone else. Validating the ancient proverb, "...when you are caught up in a contradictory position, try to make a distinction...". The plain fact is, public health is the same everywhere, and it's only a matter of time before increasing population force improved sewage treatment methods. There is nothing "special" about San Diego, except it ignores the primary sewage it dumps offshore.

OOG touring Avila Waste Water Treatment plant Citizen awareness of poorly treated sewage, sewage spills, and how sewage treatment plants work is the first step in improving effluent quality and public health.