With the rainy season coming up we want to remind the public that only stormwater should go down the storm drain.  The stormwater does not flow to a treatment plant but directly to the bay or nearby creeks.  You can be the solution to stormwater pollution by sweeping up driveways and other hard surfaces around your home, discarding trash into proper receptacles like a trash can.

What is an Illicit Discharge?

Illicit discharges are generally any discharge into a storm drain system this is not composed entirely of stormwater. The exceptions include water from firefighting activities and discharges from facilities already under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. Illicit discharges are a problem because, unlike wastewater which flows to a wastewater treatment plant, stormwater generally flows to waterways without any additional treatment. Illicit discharges often include pathogens, nutrients, surfactants, and various toxic pollutants.

If you see water running down the street and there are no firefighting or water operations activities going on in the immediate area, please report it to the LOCSD main office by calling 805-528-9370.

The water meter is an important tool for understanding and monitoring water use.  Your water meter keeps track of how much water your household uses. 

Most residential meters are analog.  An analog meter has a large dial and reads in a straight line, much like a car odometer.  It also has a red sweep hand and one complete revolution of that hand indicates one cubic foot (7.48 gallons) of water has passed through the meter.  Your meter is read by District personnel about every 60 days and the results are recorded in billing units - 1 billing unit is 100 cubic feet or 748 gallons.

Left unfixed, leaks waste a tremendous amount of water and can develop into more serious plumbing problems.  If you have a leak, it can usually be detected at the water meter.  First, turn off all water uses on the property while you are checking for leaks.  Meters have a small blue star or red triangle on the face of the dial - this is a very sensitive "leak detector" - even a small leak will be indicated by a rotating star or triangle.  If after a few minutes you see no clear movement, you probably don't have a leak. 

In our experience here at the water department, the most common cause of leaks is either a toilet or an irrigation system. Due to the fact Los Osos has sandy soil, often times a leak could percolate down through the sand and never come to the surface. If you hear your toilet running when nobody is using it, you probably have a leak.

Did you know the clam shell/claw plastic containers are now being accepted in the recycling bin? See San Luis Obispo County Integrated Waste Management Authority post about This or That for recycling!

Which bin do different kinds of grape packaging go in?

• Plastic clamshell tubs go in your recycle bin
• Plastic bags go in the trash

Make sure to put the stems in your green bin for compost!

The County of San Luis Obispo and San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) has created and interactive website for the Los Osos Valley Road Corridor Concept Plan. Please click the link below to be taken to the website where public comment can be made on the Interactive Map for the Concept Plan and see the Corridor survey. 

https://safetyplan.mysocialpinpoint.com/lovr/home/

Project Background

The Los Osos Valley Road Corridor has been the subject of multiple planning efforts over the years. The purpose of this effort is to consolidate all of the planning and engineering into one comprehensive document. This exercise also allows for the opportunity of refining these planning policies and design efforts with further specificity and accuracy.

The Los Osos Valley Road Corridor Concept Plan will consolidate and refine the improvements identified under the following plans and studies:

• 2020 Los Osos Community Plan
• 2021 Los Osos Circulation Study
• 2019 Froom Ranch Specific Plan Transportation Impact Study
• 2016 San Luis Obispo County Bikeways Plan

The Los Osos Valley Road Corridor Concept Plan will remain as a conceptual design tool to facilitate corridor improvements in preparation of capital project delivery. The County will serve as the Lead Agency, in cooperation with SLOCOG, on implementation of this plan.

Ways to Get Involved

Throughout the entire process of developing the Los Osos Valley Road Corridor Concept Plan, there are various ways to get involved with this project, including: 

• Leave location-specific comments on the interactive project map
• Participate in the online survey
• Attend the public workshop 
• Attend a Board of Supervisors meeting
• Contact the County Department of Public Works 

Contact the County to provide any additional feedback at:

Address 976 Osos St, Room 207, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Email jhudson@co.slo.ca.us
Phone (805) 781-4309

LOCSD is also continuing with their regularly scheduled Board, Utilities Advisory Committee, Finance Advisory Committee, Emergency Services Advisory Committee and Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee Meetings. 

Information for each meeting and how to get connected will be available on the Agenda for each meeting. Agendas can be found on the LOCSD Website (losososcsd.org) which is posted a minimum of 72 hours before the meeting time.

Our upcoming meetings are: 

• Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee Meeting - November 14, 2023 @ 5:30PM
• Emergency Services Advisory Committee Meeting - November 16, 2023 @ 5:30PM
• Finance Advisory Committee Meeting - December 4, 2023 @ 5:30PM
• Utilities Advisory Committee Special Meeting - December 6, 2023 @ 5:30PM 
• Board of Directors Meeting - December 7, 2023 Open Session @ 6:00 PM

For more information about the upcoming meetings for LOCSD, please go to our website, or click here.