California continues to be in a drought.  If you look at our county, we are in Severe Drought with some of the eastern portion in Extreme Drought conditions.

With California experiencing a second consecutive dry winter, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on April 21, 2021, several actions related to drought preparedness. Click here for more information: https://water.ca.gov/Water-Basics/Drought

This is also a reminder that the Los Osos CSD Board of Directors Declared a Stage III Emergency of the District’s Water Shortage Contingency Plan.  We have been under this emergency declaration since 2015.  Stage III states our water usage allocation is 50 gallons per occupant per day based on a household of 3 occupants.  So that equates to 150 gallons per household per day.  If you look at your water bill, one unit (100 cubic feet) of water is equal to 748 gallons.

Here are some ways Los Osos residents can conserve water:

• Take short showers instead of baths.
• Turn off the water to brush teeth, shave and soap up in the shower.
• Fill the sink to shave.
• Repair leaky toilets, or replace with a dual flush or low flow toilet.
• Only run the washing machine and dishwasher when you have a full load.
• Use a low flow shower head and faucet aerators.
• Fix leaks.
• Don’t overwater your lawn or water during peak periods.
• Monitor your landscape irrigation system
• Monitor your water usage on your water bill.

CAL FIRE Station 15 is asking owners to clear fire breaks around your properties.  With dry conditions, take care when clearing your property.  Sometimes high weed mowers or weed eaters will set off a spark which could start a brush fire.  Please use caution when operating equipment that could potentially cause a fire.

If you’re struggling with paying rent due to a COVID-19 financial hardship, and you’re an income eligible household, help is here! You can receive help with past due or future rent and utilities, especially if you’re at risk of eviction. To check eligibility and apply, go to www.recoverslo.org/rentrelief or call 833-430-2122.

Have you ever been in front of the recycling bin, debating whether or not to toss in an item you’re not entirely sure can be recycled?

To recycle or not is the question — and while one may think it’s better to toss an item in the recycling bin just in case it can somehow get recycled, “wishcycling” can actually cause more harm than good.

What is Wishcycling?

Wishcycling is the act of putting an item in the recycling bin in hopes that it can get recycled, regardless of whether that item is in fact recyclable or not. While it is true that we should recycle as much as possible, tossing items that don’t actually belong in the recycling bin carries harmful unintended consequences.

The items we throw in our recycling bin are sent to a facility and sorted by recycling workers and machines — but items that are not actually recyclable can jam up machinery and waste sorters’ time, making it so items that are actually recyclable are not all captured. Moreover, non-recyclable items can contaminate recyclable items and make it so that the recyclable items are too contaminated to actually be recycled.

When in Doubt, Check the Recycling Guide

But, no need to worry: there is a recycling guide to help you out anytime you’re unsure of whether an item is or isn’t recyclable. You can access it on your phone, tablet or computer – simply search for the item to discover how to properly dispose of it. Find more tips on using your recycling guide.

And the next time you are tempted to recycle something you’re unsure of, check the guide to see if it is really recyclable!

LOCSD is also continuing with their monthly Board, Utilities Advisory Committee, Finance Advisory Committee and Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee Meetings. 

Pursuant to Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-29-20, members of the Board of Directors, staff and public may participate in this meeting via teleconference and/or electronically.

Until this order is lifted, all LOCSD meetings will be held via Zoom. Information for each meeting and how to get connected is available on the Agenda for each meeting which can be found on the LOCSD Website which is posted a minimum of 72 hours before the meeting time.

Our upcoming meetings are:

Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee Meeting - June 15, 2021 @ 5:30PM

Utilities Advisory Committee Meeting - June 16, 2021 @5:30PM          

Finance Advisory Committee Meeting - June 28, 2021 @ 5:30PM

Board of Directors Meeting Open Session - July 1, 2021 @ 6PM - Streamed live on the Districts facebook page at  https://www.facebook.com/losososcsd 

Utilities Advisory Committee Meeting - July 21, 2021 @5:30PM          

The LOCSD Boardroom will NOT be open for accessing the meetings until State direction is given and meetings can occur. For more information about the upcoming meetings for LOCSD, please go to our website, or click here.