The project has received over $21,500,000 in grants to date, as well as subsidized low interest financing terms of 2% for 30 years and 2.6% for 40 years for the project's two long term loans for construction. These savings have been applied to reduce the overall project costs for assessments and service charges to all property owners in the wastewater service area. In addition, several options for financial assistance for low income residents will be available utilizing existing State and Federal programs and newly developed local programs
Low Income Financial Assistance Programs
See our new service page here - Los Osos Low Income Financial Assistance Program
Lateral Connection Grant Programs
If you need financial assistance for your sewer lateral connection, download a copy of the Income Certification Application. Complete the application and return it, with all the required attachments, to the address at the bottom of the application form. Information in this application will be confidentially processed by Peoples' Self-Help Housing and be used to determine your eligibility for several lateral connection grant programs. Income Certification Applications will continue to be accepted as long as funds are available.
For more information, you can also review the Powerpoint Presentation (also available in Spanish Version) from an informational meeting held by San Luis Obispo County and Peoples' Self-Help Housing on November 5th, 2015.
Project Cost Information
Project costs vary between single family, multi-family, mobile home, and commercial properties. Costs for a typical single family home are estimated to be about $1,980 per year, which is equivalent to $165 per month. This amount includes assessments and the service charges, which are discussed in more detail below. See the Monthly Cost Estimates chart for more details of project costs.
Assessments were approved by a Prop. 218 vote in 2007. A typical single family home received a wastewater assessment of $24,949. This amount may be pre-paid, but is typically financed under the terms of the project's long term loans. The costs are collected on the semi-annual property tax bills. During construction, the annual amount is $710 per year and will increase to $1,083 per year after construction is completed in 2016. This $1,083 per year costs is equivalent to about $90 per month.
Service charges were approved by a Prop. 218 protest process in 2010. These charges are also planned to be collected on the semi-annual property tax bills. The fixed fee portion of the charges for a single family residence is estimated to be about $450 per year. The variable portion is based on an estimate of indoor water usage and equals about 1¢ per gallon. The variable fees for a typical single family residence are estimated to total about $450 per year. Together the $900 per year estimate for service charges is equivalent to about $75 per month.
On-lot lateral connections are the responsibility of each property owner. In general, the work includes connecting the sewer lateral from your home to the County installed lateral at your property line and either abandoning your existing septic system in place or repurposing the septic system for a number of sustainable uses which benefit water resources. About 75% of homes have their septic systems in the front yard with a straightforward connection path to the street. Owners may hire a contractor to complete the work on their property, and the median cost for the on-lot work is estimated to be about $3,000. Homes with more complicated situations will have additional costs. It is recommended that each owner requests input and quotes from multiple contractors in order to get a fair price for the work.