OCEANSIDE — Oceanside has been a good neighbor to Camp Pendleton and maintained an agreement that allows Camp Pendleton to use its sewer lines to outfall 3.6 million gallons of secondary treated water a day.
This agreement has been in place without changes since 1999.
Water Utilities Director Carie Dale said it is always a good thing to be a good neighbor, but it is also time for the agreement to be updated.
City Council approved a short-term two-year extension of the agreement Dec. 18 that requires Camp Pendleton to pay a $69,013 extension, which covers the cost of living increase.
Dale said the hope is to wrap up the long-term agreement with the Department of the Navy and Camp Pendleton during the two-year extension.
“It’s been on our plate for several years in negotiations,” Dale said. “Camp Pendleton has to do their part. It involves folks in Washington, D.C.”
The proposed long-term agreement requires Camp Pendleton to pay Oceanside $126,940 a year for sewer capacity, $65,000 a year for transport, and $1,700 a month for operations and maintenance.
Also included in the agreement is for Camp Pendleton to supply Oceanside with 1 million gallons of recycled water a day, pay a capital replacement charge, and give the city a half acre of land adjacent to the harbor.
These terms will update the agreement and make it more balanced.
Councilman Jerry Kern said he sees a big benefit to Oceanside receiving 1 million gallons of recycled water a day. The recycled water can be used to water golf courses, parks and other green space without using more expensive potable water.
“We can’t be using drinking water to water El Corazon (Park),” Kern said. “It will mean less water we need to buy from Metropolitan (Water District).”
“I see wastewater as a resource,” Kern added.
The number of years the long-term agreement with Camp Pendleton will last has not been set, but Dale said it is expected to be 20 years.
Kern said his concern looking ahead is whether Oceanside will grow to need the additional outfall capacity it now shares with Camp Pendleton.
The total allowable outfall capacity, which Oceanside has, to discharge treated water into the ocean is being discussed by the Regional Water Quality Control Board. Because it is under discussion, outfall quantities were not shared at this time.
