Project 172 - Agenda Staff Reports - 2003-12-02 �5�,5AN1L1'4P
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an Independent Special' strict
Memorandum
To: Board of Directors
Staff
From: Robin B. Hamers, Manager/District Engineer
Date: December 2, 2003
Subject: WDR Public Education Outreach Program
The Costa Mesa Sanitary District has been successfully accomplishing the
requirements of the State Water Quality Control Board Santa Ana Region, Waste
Discharge Requirements (WDR). As discussed at various Board meetings, the CMSD
• Manager/District Engineer Assistant Manager and Attorney sit on various steering
committees to assist the 32 agencies subject to the WDR to achieve compliance with
the Order
The subject of this memorandum is the WDR requirement that states:
'Establish an implementation plan and schedule for a public education
outreach program that promotes proper disposal of grease and fats.
The attached letter from Blake Anderson of the Orange County Sanitation District
invites the agencies to cooperatively participate in producing an education program
that satisfies the WDR. The attachment includes a survey form that shows the
responses from the agencies whether they prefer a large or small education program.
The survey shows the Costa Mesa Sanitary District and the Garden Grove Sanitary
District declined to participate in the program.
After Staff discussion, it was decided to decline the invitation to participate in the joint
production of education materials for the following reasons: Firstly by the time the
education materials are complete, the District will have completed the WDR FOG
Characterization Study through EEC which includes an educational component. At
the last Board meeting, the introductory letter to the restaurants along with the
Restaurant BMP List and a Do's and Don'ts flyer were distributed for Board review
•
Protecting our community's hearth by providing solid waste anti sewer collection services.
costamesasamtary istrict.org
WDR Public Education Outreach Program December 2, 2003
Page 2
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Additional information will be distributed during the actual survey and thereafter when
the CMSD fats, oils, and grease (FOG) inspector visits a site. The FOG inspector will
be handing out additional information such as recommended maintenance schedules,
log sheets, new developments, etc. Joan Revak, Clerk of the District, produced 400
very nice looking CMSD notebooks for the restaurants to keep their information in and
the notebooks are being handed directly to the managers and owners at the initial
survey meeting.
Secondly the District has already satisfied the WDR education goals. In addition to
the education program described above, the District has distributed the Restaurant
Owner's Guide for Grease Control on three occasions. The District also distributes its
Homeowner's Guide to Sewer Lateral Maintenance that includes information on how
to handle grease and tree roots. The District also takes advantage of the City
Recreation Review published quarterly by including information on the proper disposal
of grease. Lastly the District includes articles on grease in the Fall CMSD Newsletter
The other non-participant in the education program is the Garden Grove Sanitary
District and they are declining for the same reasons as the Costa Mesa Sanitary
District and because they require education materials in five languages.
• Staff believes it is prudent to decline the invitation to participate and recommends the
Board ratify this position for the reasons stated above.
•