The Los Osos Community Park is one of three locations in town that is currently in the process of switching to recycled water for irrigation.
Upgrading irrigation systems for Los Osos Community Park, Monarch Grove Elementary School, and Los Osos Middle School has been in the works for about 10 years. San Luis Obispo County Public Works Wastewater Engineer Cori Burnett says the middle school was chosen as the highest priority as it’s the highest user of drinking water for irrigation.
“The Monarch Grove and Los Osos Community Park systems were also beneficial users to the basin as they are existing potable water supply users for irrigation,” said Cori Burnett, San Luis Obispo County Public Works Wastewater Engineer III.
The cost to convert to recycled water for these three sites ranges from $166,000 to $410,000 according to Burnett. She says the conversion project is federally funded and that recycled water costs less than drinking water.
“The new recycled water rate will be 90% of a drinking water rate, so there will be about a 10% discount,” Burnett said.
Los Osos Middle School and Los Osos Community Park are currently under construction, with Monarch Grove Elementary expected to start this week.
The county was required to convert some sites in Los Osos to recycled water under conditions for the Los Osos Water Recycling Facility Project.
Construction at Monarch Grove is expected to last 45 days.
