I read your editorial with great interest this week. I thought you were right on the mark with many of your points with regard to the proposed septic prohibition, including the potential cost to impacted property owners, the potential negative effect it may have on real estate and the fact that the pollution may not be from septic systems at all.
However, at the end of the editorial, you mentioned that Legacy Park treatment facility will not help the problem and “can only handle the storm and urban runoff water. Treatment of wastewater is not part of the Legacy Park plan.” I would like to correct that point and state that Legacy Park will help solve our wastewater dilemma. The park has been designed to allow reuse of treated Title 22 effluent that would be generated from a centralized wastewater treatment facility.
This will enable the City to reduce our need for new potable water sources, allow for the treated wastewater to be used in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner, reduce our need to discharge treated effluent into leach fields and allow for natural evapotranspiration to take place.
Legacy Park does solve our stormwater and urban runoff concerns by eliminating bacteria and dry weather discharges to the creek, reducing nitrogen and other pollutants of concern, as well as removing trash and sediment. But the park does more than that; it also goes a long way in helping resolve our wastewater issues as well. Finally, Legacy Park will be a learning center for all visitors to further our efforts to become a sustainable society. Legacy Park is “One Smart Park.”
Jim Thorsen
City Manager