Staff at Lakeside County Water and Sewer District (LCWSD) began noticing in 2020 that the ponds that hold wastewater over the winter were “bumping up” against capacity. It’s a key part of the cycle in the aerated lagoon system the district has historically relied upon to treat wastewater.

The following spring, staff began looking into building a new storage pond at the facility. New regulations that required ground support in case of an earthquake, however, increased the price. Adding another storage pond would cost between $11 and $12 million instead of $4 million, said Marc Liechti, the district’s president.

“It makes no sense to continue building ponds and patching up for another five to 10 years,” said Liechti. “Let’s just look at what’s really smart to do now and take that step and

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