San Luis Obispo County provides sewer services in some areas of Los Osos, including the Monarch Grove subdivision, but it wasn’t always like that.
That area used to have its own sewer treatment facility with Sea Pines Golf Course next door, but ultimately looked into other solutions when the small package plants started to have trouble meeting discharge requirements.
“The residents of the subdivision petitioned the county to see if they could join the larger project, the Los Osos Sewer Project,” said Ron Munds, Los Osos Community Services District Interim Assistant General Manager.
Monarch Grove already had a collection system, so to join the bigger project, just one thing needed to happen.
“Connect to the main system that then carries that waste out to the treatment facility east of town,” Munds said.
After the Monarch Grove subdivision joined the sewer system in 2019, Ordinance 3413 was adopted to establish sewer rates for the following few years.
Those started at $57.80 during the 2020-21 fiscal year and went up to $74.74 most recently.
“The monthly minimum charge per dwelling proposed for fiscal year 2026-2027 will not increase from previous year, so that will remain unchanged,” said Shelly Cone, San Luis Obispo Public Works spokesperson.
Cone said it's pretty routine to be put on the agenda since state law requires it.
“This is how we’ve always collected wastewater rates in Los Osos, so for the county to put them on the property tax bill requires a public hearing each year,” Cone said.
She added that in order for an increase to be considered, a new rate study would have to be done, with an increase proposed and adopted.
It’ll be discussed at Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting but the recommended hearing date is July 28.
