Calistoga vintner Paul Smith has been working for the past two or three years to get the city of Calistoga to do whatever it can to reduce the level of boron released into the town’s wastewater system.

Coincidentally, Calistoga Public Works Director Dan Takasugi has been working to implement city policies intended to accomplish the same goal since he started working for the city two-and-a-half years ago.

Until Thursday, Smith and Takasugi had never met, although they had corresponded with each other on several occasions on the wastewater issue and a 1976 city ordinance limiting the concentration of boron and other geothermal or mineralized water discharges “that could have a toxic effect upon plant growth or degrade groundwater...”

Smith is concerned that:

• boron-laden wastewater being re-used by the city is damaging the environment.

• the city is not monitoring the amounts of boron that spas dump into wastewater.

• the city has not always enforced its own policy to require boron reductions when spas propose upgrades.

• the city doesn’t have enough land on which to dispose of its treated wastewater.

• boron could enter the groundwater and harm vineyards.

During a meeting of The Weekly Calistogan editorial board last Thursday, Smith and Takasugi came to a mutual understanding that any time a boron-producer such as a health spa proposes any kind of improvement or upgrade, the city is required to mandate processing changes to reduce or eliminate the flow of boron into the wastewater system.

Calistoga spas existing before 1976 are not required to install the new process until they apply for expanded uses, such as additional rooms, Takasugi explained. For the time being, they are considered legal, non-conforming uses.

In the meantime new spas, like the one at Solage, are required to use the new process that bypasses the need to dump boron-laden water into the wastewater system.

Also, Takasugi noted, businesses that continue to release boron into the wastewater system are being charged a premium sewer rate.

Takasugi noted that boron is not a problem for the city, which uses about 100 million gallons of treated wastewater annually to irrigate the fairgrounds, parks, schools and other areas of the city.

He said the city is also complying with the city’s 2003 general plan by providing enough acreage for reclaimed wastewater irrigation, as new development comes on line.

He conceded, however, that because not all of the 20 or so users of private geothermal wells that have been drilled since 1976 are hooked up to the city’s sewer system, the city can’t determine the boron content of those wastewater sources.

However, he said the overall boron content in city wastewater — about 2-3 parts per million — is not regulated by the state.

If the city is someday successful in diluting boron content in its wastewater to 0.5 parts per million, the water could be safe for vineyards, creating a new revenue source for the city and a new water source for vineyards, Takasugi and Smith agreed.

If enough spas propose enough new development, the boron level could be reduced to 0.5 mg/liter within a decade, Takasugi estimated. Without the improvements, the boron levels are not likely to change, he noted.

Smith suggested that new language should be added to the city’s under-construction Urban Design Plan, requiring boron reductions with any new spa or upgrade.

That’s a reasonable suggestion, since it’s already city policy.

If the city simply follows its own policies it should be able to reduce boron content in wastewater over time and avoid questions about enforcement from folks like Smith.

Smith and Takasugi deserve praise for coming together to shed light on this potentially damaging environmental and legal problem.

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