Newsletter Sprint 2002 Page Two

Treatment Plant Upgrade

New Water Quality Rules

Santa Barbara’s Cater Water Treatment Plant, which provides about 55 percent of the District’s high quality water, is being upgraded. The purpose is to modernize aging equipment; meet new, more stringent drinking water regulations; and increase water supply reliability, efficiency and security.

Cooperative Project

The treatment plant upgrade is a cooperative project of Montecito and Carpinteria Valley Water Districts and the City of Santa Barbara.

Cost-Sharing

Montecito’s 19.7% share of the project costs is expected to be over $3 million. This cost-sharing arrangement saves money for all of the participants as will the super-low 2.5% interest loan obtained from the state.

Future Required Upgrades

It is expected that more multi-million dollar-upgrades will be required in coming years to meet increasingly strict Federal and State drinking water regulations.

30 Fire Hydrants Replaced

The District has replaced 30 aging fire hydrants in the past year as part of a five-year hydrant upgrade program jointly funded by the Montecito Fire Protection District and the Montecito Water District.

Before the year is out, the District plans to replace another 20 to 30 hydrants. The ultimate goal is to replace about 250 older fire hydrants with high capacity hydrants.

The new high-flow hydrants with 4- inch outlets are replacing vintage

hydrants which had smaller outlets that do not efficiently match up with modern fire engine hoses. The new hydrants provide increased water flows, allow faster hookup times to fire engines, and will help maintain good fire insurance ratings for the community.

The Fire and Water Districts are working together to carry out the hydrant project quickly and efficiently. The Fire District is financing the $80,000 annual cost over the next five years. The Water District is providing engineering and construction management services.