Goleta Water District
Potable Reuse Facilities Plan (2017)

We waged a battle at the Regional Water Quality Control Board to deny a continuation of a 301(h) waiver for the Goleta Sanitary District (GSD) to continue discharging wastewater that was not fully treated (a mix of primary & secondary). To make our point, Executive Director Hillary Hauser and Jeff Maassen dived on the GSD outfall in 90 ft. of water, and showed the Regional Board what the issue was.

After winning the 301h waiver battle at the Regional Board, GSD filed an appeal to overturn the decision at the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). With attorney Vickie Clark, we traveled to Sacramento, fought the appeal – and we won! GSD was now ready to upgrade its treatment plant. HTO helped by pinning down $500,000 for GSD to add co-generation into its upgrade.

Finally 14 years later, when GSD officials cut the ribbon on the finished, upgraded treatment plant in 2013, we were there to celebrate with them! GSD is now at the forefront of wastewater recycling, and in 2016 joined the Goleta Water District in a Goleta Potable Reuse Facilities Plan. HTO organized the GSD and GWD district managers to apply for a state grant to pay for half of the cost of the plan.