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EPA Awards $242,000 Sewer Project Grant to Ventura County

Release Date: 10/23/2002
Contact Information: Leo Kay, Press Office, 415/947-4306

     SAN FRANCISCO   The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently awarded a $242,500 grant to Ventura County to provide for the final design of a sewer collection system that will replace septic tanks in the El Rio-South Central area.

     The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board ordered the county to phase out septic tanks by 2008 in this unincorporated community north of Oxnard. Septic tanks can pollute drinking water wells with nitrate, which has been linked with serious health effects, including the condition known as "Blue Baby Syndrome."

     "This money will help local officials tackle the daunting yet important work that has to be done to phase out septic tanks in El Rio," said Wayne Nastri, the EPA's administrator of the Pacific Southwest region.  "We hope to continue helping the county on this issue in the coming years."
   
     The grant will be used to design a sewer system for an El Rio East neighborhood known as El Rio-South Central.  The cost of the county's entire project   which will ultimately entail providing a sewer system in the 1,600-parcel area in Oxnard Forebay, Rio East, Rio West, Industrial Area and Strickland Acres   is estimated at $24 million.