SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) -- In a meeting Tuesday, the County of Santa Cruz Board of Supervisors approved the expansion of eligible households for the Composting Toilet Pilot Program to include existing single-family dwelling within the county with a permitted onsite wastewater treatment system. Additionally, the county announced that property containing active single-family dwelling as well as public agencies with permit applications--including all of the 154 CZU fire impacted applications--are now eligible.
On the agenda document submitted by First District Supervisor Manu Koenig, it was listed that insurance challenges were leading to project stagnation for 29 of the original eligible households, so expanding the list of eligible participants can help the pilot program move forward. The County of Santa Cruz is hoping to implement this type of composting toilet system throughout various locations in the county.
"The Composting Toilet pilot has garnered significant support from the community. GiveLove has secured private funding, insurance and a composting site at the Watsonville Wastewater Treatment Plant," according to Koenig. "By expanding the eligibility criteria, the Board will enable the pilot project to move forward."
Back in October 2022, the Board approved the Composting Toilet Pilot Program for 25 CZU Fire-impacted homes so that residents can return to their homes. Unfortunately, according to the Board, the "innovative nature" of the project generated insurance complications that led to months of delay.
The Board says that eligibility expansion is necessary for the project to progress, with a maximum of 25 properties awarded the pilot program.
The Composting Toilet Pilot Program uses Container-Based Sanitation (CBS) that includes collecting waste within specially designed containers for shipping to a centralized location that specializes in managing compost to reduce health risks, according to the County of Santa Cruz Board of Supervisors.
The Board has granted a non-profit named GiveLove the opportunity to conduct the CBS pilot program due to the institution's "extensive experience" in waste management and composting.
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