We’re pouring money into a white elephant

The Rancho compost facility, Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD)’s proverbial white elephant, will likely need more money in 2002.

A consulting firm is expected to propose that the water district spend more than $13 million to rehabilitate and expand the Rancho compost facility.

This is over and above $1.1 million recently spent to rehabilitate and enlarge the biofilter, the device used to reduce odors emitted by the compost facility. An additional amount, yet not estimated, will be sought to improve the character of compost so that its sale might actually become profitable.

Until about a year ago the removal of compost from the plant was done without charge, but since then it has become very costly. The compost facility has always been a burden for its owners, LVMWD and the Triunfo Sanitation District (TSD). Nearly $50 million was spent to construct it, and more than $3 million has been required each year to operate it.

Operation of the facility has been continued in spite of alternate less costly methods for managing the sludge. TSD recently proposed transporting the sludge by truck, a method which would have saved LVMWD and TSD a substantial amount of money. This was rejected by LVMWD.

Now the LV and TSD boards will need to decide whether to follow the recommendation of CH2M Hill, the consulting firm, to spend over $15 million or to adopt the proposal of the Rio Vista, Calif.- firm, Dry-Vac Environmental, for equipment costing less than $2 million, equipment which can process more sludge and in less time.

Recently, the boards of LVMWD and TSD conducted a workshop at which the entire biosolids (sludge) handling process was reviewed by the two boards in order to understand better a role for the compost facility in the future.

CH2M Hill presented the facts and information supporting its recommendations. Representatives of Dry-Vac Environmental presented information about its equipment and its performance.

One can hope this workshop will enable the two boards, when a decision is made, to make the best use of the public’s money.

Vernon M. Padgett, M.D.

Director, LVMWD

Calabasas

Padgett will be seeking reelection this November.