Cost of Tertiary Wastewater Treatment for Southern Santa barbara County (2001)

In 2001 we started calling for wastewater treatment plants to upgrade treatment – we were, and are, against using the ocean to dilute waste. The pushback was, it will cost the moon!” We said, “Let us find out how much the moon costs, then.” We ordered up a study to determine the cost feasibility of upgrading all five wastewater treatment plants discharging into the ocean off south Santa Barbara County. That study, Cost of Tertiary Wastewater Treatment for Southern Santa Barbara County, by Metcalf & Eddy engineers (2001) was completely ahead of its time and became an important source of information much later when Santa Barbara County began to look for sources of water during the drought.