Clear Lake Oaks says it has no 'plan B' if pipeline access ends; board told the line was built under 25‑year expectation

Diana Mann of Clear Lake Oaks told the board the district does not have an alternative system for effluent disposal and that building one would cost "millions of dollars." She said the existing 3.5‑mile pipeline was built with the expectation it would be used to send effluent to the geothermal steam fields and that Clear Lake Oaks has historically shouldered maintenance costs.

"We don't have a plan b," Mann said, adding that for the last 25 years Clear Lake Oaks has been solely responsible for all repair and maintenance on the line. She told the board the amendment would relieve some future expense risk for Clear Lake Oaks ratepayers by sharing inspection and repair responsibilities with the Sanitation District.

Mann and Director Boire both stressed that if the pipeline were not available, district systems would need costly upgrades (reservoir expansion, new sprinklers, new pumps) with multi‑million‑dollar price tags. That reality, Mann said, is why the pipeline remains the most economical option for disposal today.