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PRESS RELEASE. From the Montara Water & Sanitary District (MWSD) General Manager, Clemens Heldmaier, on Wednesday, November 1st, 2023.
CUSD = Cabrillo Unified School District.
Montara Water and Sanitary District (MWSD) Statement on
Preventative Water Service Shut-Off at Farallone View Elementary School
Due to Systemwide Public Health Concerns Caused by Modernization Project
Montara, CA — On October 25, Montara Water & Sanitary District (MWSD) was made aware of significant plumbing and sewer connection concerns occurring at Farallone View Elementary School as part of the Modernization Project currently under construction. As a member of this community, we welcome the modernization of our local school, however, we have observed grave onsite plumbing conditions which violate our water and sanitary system ordinances.
Without immediate action, both the children and staff of Farallone View, and our entire community are at risk of exposure to untreated drinking water due to cross connected pipes at the school site. To address this public health hazard, following multiple attempts to proactively resolve this concern with Cabrillo Unified School District, MWSD made the difficult decision to shut-off water service to the Farallone View campus on Thursday, November 2.
Cross connections can occur when drinking water pipes are connected to non-drinking water pipes or sources. These cross connections can allow untreated, non-potable water to enter our drinking water system. MWSD’s water system is the sole source of drinking water for consumption and domestic use (cooking, dishwashing, handwashing, etc.) for 6,000 customers in Montara, Moss Beach and Pillar Ridge. We cannot allow a cross connection condition to exist as it can permit untreated or contaminated water into our community’s water system, while also exposing the children and staff at Farallone View to this untreated water.
MWSD has been in direct communication with school leadership onsite at Farallone View and with Cabrillo Unified School District in an attempt to address our concerns. Despite our best efforts to identify solutions and offer assistance, no action has been taken to resolve the poor plumbing conditions. Given the possibility of contamination entering the water system from this site, MWSD, after notification to the State Division of Drinking Water (our regulator), proactively shut-off water service to the school site. Water will remain off until site conditions are addressed and achieve compliance with MWSD ordinances.
The plans and specifications for the $23.4 million Farallone View Modernization Project have never been reviewed by MWSD. MWSD has publicly approved and available ordinances to enforce State law and protect our critical public systems, along with plan review and permit application processes available to ensure new development, construction and renovation projects do not endanger the public systems that serve our community. All properties undergoing construction are required to submit their project for review to MWSD prior to construction. These are standard plumbing requirements common to all drinking water systems.
MWSD is standing by to support Farallone View Elementary School and the Cabrillo Unified School District (CUSD) in addressing these public health concerns. Immediate action is required to install backflow prevention devices to protect our community water system, along with provision of bottled drinking water and handwashing stations for school users while plumbing concerns are addressed. With these measures in hand, MWSD can re-establish water service to Farallone View Elementary, and students can return to the facility. We look forward to working with CUSD to resolve these issues quickly.
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Montara Water and Sanitary District (MWSD) works every day to deliver water, garbage, and sewer services for the residents of Montara and Moss Beach. Over 6,000 residents rely on our services for their homes and businesses.
More on the Farallone School Modernization Plans
More on Montara Water and Sanitary District on Coastside Buzz
Montara Water and Sanitary District (MWSD) Meetings ~ 1st & 3rd Thursdays @ 7:30pm
From left: Peter Dekker, Kathrine Slater-Carter, Chair Scott Boyd, Bill Softkey and Cid Young.
Watch remotely. Comments and questions by email.
Agendas and Zoom Live Meeting Links
If you experience technical difficulties or have technical questions prior to or during the meeting, please contact MWSD’s IT support at (650) 728-7843.
Meeting Videos
Meeting Schedule:
Regular meetings are 7:30pm on the first and third Thursday of each month. They used to held at the District office at 8888 Cabrillo Hwy, next to Pt Montara Lighthouse and Hostel.
To receive agendas by email, send a request to [email protected]
In addition to email, we post agendas before each board meeting:
- On the District website here
- Montara post office
- Moss Beach post office
- the bulletin board in front of the MWSD office
Who is on the Board of Directors?
The Board of Directors manages the affairs of the District. Through their bi-monthly meetings they set policy, enact appropriate resolutions or ordinances, approve all payments to vendors, review and approve the budget, set Sewer Service Charge rates, establish connection charges, hire staff, approve contracts and other necessary actions needed to carry out the business of the District.
There are five Board members, all of whom are elected at large, and must reside in the Montara or Moss Beach area. The current Board is as follows:
| DIRECTOR | TERM |
|---|---|
| Scott Boyd — President | Term 2020-2024 |
| Peter Dekker — Treasurer | Term 2020-2026 |
| Kathryn Slater-Carter — Secretary | Term 2020-2024 |
| Bill Softky — Director | Term 2022-2026 |
| Carlysle Ann (Cid) Young— Director | Term 2023-2024 |
All Board members may be reached by sending an email to [email protected].
Or writing the District office at: Montara Water and Sanitary District, P.O. Box 370131, Montara, CA 94037. Telephone: (650)728-3545; FAX (650)728-8556.
General Manager
Clemens Heldmaier (650)728-3545 email
MSWD General Manager Clemens Heldmaier showing a creek filtration system.
Author: Coastside Buzz
Me
Right on! A CUSD administered from the arrogance end of the district should not be allowed to compromise the quality of our domestic water supply. There will be the expected cries of outrage, but that outrage should be directed to the administrators of CUSD who have chosen to ignore the immediate problem. Funding for basic health measures protecting students and staff, to say nothing about the health of the rest of us, should take precedence over other construction activities. And stop calling the rebuilding “modern” when it includes a community-blocking prison fence around the school and does not include solar and other sustainable energy measures that are part of new construction and remodeling at many other schools on the Peninsula and in the Bay Area. It is this kind of planning and fiscal mismanagement at CUSD that caused so many of us who have lived in the district for a long time to resist the “do it for the kiddies” campaign blather and vote against the bond measures.