HomeMy WebLinkAbout01. Public Comment Period Page 1 of 4
Item 1.
CENTRALSAN
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CENTRAL CONTRA COSTA SANITARY DISTRICT
November 17, 2022
TO: HONORABLE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
FROM: KATIE YOUNG, SECRETARYOF THE DISTRICT
SUBJECT: RECEIVE WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENT DATED NOVEMBER 7, 2022
Attached is a public comment received by the Secretary of the District on November 7, 2022 for your
review. Staff responded to the comments.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Public Comment 11-07-22
November 17, 2022 Regular Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 5 of 101
Page 2 of 4
Katie Young
From: Central San <webmail@centralsan.org>
Sent: Monday, November 7, 2022 12:48 PM
To: Secretary of the District
Subject: SPEAKER/COMMENT CARD ID#2006 - Randy Yau
a
12:48pm Central
COMMENT/SPEAKER CARD ID#2006
Submitted on Monday, November 7, 2022 - 12:48pm
I wish to submit a written comment.
To the CCCSD Central San board,
I am a community member who is passionate about recycling and
saving water. When I first read a newsletter from CCCSD Central San
understanding the continued commitment and investment into an
infrastructure that benefits our community with recycled water, I was
both impressed and proud to be living in this community that is serviced
by CCCSD.
In your continued efforts toward sustainability and innovation, I would
like to inquire about another opportunity to make a significant impact
toward turning our waste into a valuable resource. As an avid gardener,
I have been reading and researching the use of our urine as fertilizer.
Urine fertilization has ancient roots and is still practiced in many
communities around the world. Human urine contains a wealth of vital
plant nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium,
calcium, and sulfur. Instead of flushing these precious elements
downstream, where they cause nutrient pollution and harmful algal
blooms, we can reclaim these nutrients in our own gardens.
While many countries have already adopted some form of urine
recycling programs to benefit farming and agriculture, there is only one
non-profit organization in the US that I am aware of that is taking the
initiative. Rich Earth Institute in Vermont has developed research and
programs that turn human urine into fertilizer. Their pioneering work
supports sustainable agriculture and protects vital water resources.
Since 2013, they have saved over 1,800,000 gallons of water by
diverting urine from our toilets to agriculture.
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November 17, 2022 Regular Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 6 of 101
Page 3 of 4
The slow adoption to recycled urine is likely due to the "ick factor" of our
own human waste. We also have to consider sanitation and health risks
but there is science and research to back this up. I believe through
awareness and education, we have the opportunity to change this
perception and recycling urine can have large impacts at both small
scale in our homes and large scale for agriculture. Whether its personal
gardening or creating a urine collection program at scale that could
service sustainable local farms in Contra Costa County, the thought of
saving valuable potable water from being flushed away with a natural
fertilizer would no doubt interest a portion of our eco-conscious
community.
The Rich Earth Institute publishes a simple newsletter like this one:
http://richearthinstitute.org/wp-
content/uploads/2021/05/UrineMyGarden_DIYGuide.pdf I find the
information on this flyer inspiring and am willing to bet that other home
gardeners would too. But at a larger scale, they share some staggering
facts:SEP
1.2 trillion gallons
Amount of drinkable water we use each year to flush toilets.
80 percent
Portion of the nitrogen and phosphorous pollution in wastewater caused
by human waste.
320 pounds
Amount of wheat that could be grown in a year with the fertilizer from
one adult's urine.
125 gallons
Approximate volume of urine an adult produces each year.
4000 gallons
Amount of water you could save per year by diverting urine for fertilizer.
9 billion pounds
Amount of chemical fertilizer that could be replaced with the urine
Americans produce each year.
My question to the board is where or how something like this might find
a way into CCCSD's initiatives. I imagine the possibility of a urine
recycling program, much like your recycled water program, where local
farmers can pick up recycled urine while community volunteers can
collect and deposit their urine. Or, if our community is not ready to
accept urine as a part of farming, can we divert our urine to help fertilize
our local open spaces where we aim to preserve our native plants and
oak trees and help our landscape thrive as are soils are increasingly
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November 17, 2022 Regular Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 7 of 101
Page 4 of 4
depleted of nutrients due to climate change? I can imagine a
partnership between CCCSD and Walnut Creek Open Space
Foundation. Or, even at the smallest scale, is there an opportunity to
broaden awareness that our own urine is good for our plants and soil
and that everyone can make a small impact by diverting some, if not all,
urine into their own garden?
Perhaps this topic is already in discussion at CCCSD. If it is, I would
love to learn more. I appreciate your time and attention to my inquiry
and welcome your response.
Thank you,
Randy Yau
My speech/comment is not about an item on the Agenda. I wish to address the Board
during the PUBLIC COMMENT item on the agenda.
[item number]
Submitted by:
Randy Yau
randy.h.yau@gmail.com
30 San Pedro Ct.
Walnut Creek
4152187549
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November 17, 2022 Regular Board Meeting Agenda Packet- Page 8 of 101