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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved an additional $250,000 for the Robin Lane sewer spill recovery, bringing the total allocation to $2 million, without reviewing existing expenses for over three months of the local emergency.
By Feb. 10, the board had approved $1.75 million in county emergency funds to cover disaster response and recovery costs including water tank and UV filtration system installation, potable water delivery and well water sample testing.
Assistant County Administrative Officer Stephen Carter told the board that known expenses had already exceeded the allocated amount and requested additional funds.
“I know of some numbers that are not included here,” he said. “So we're pretty hopeful that the $250,000 requested increase is enough to cover the remaining installs, water testing and everything related to this disaster.”
However, neither staff nor the board conducted an open financial evaluation of existing expenses before the approval, leaving the public and the board with little information about how emergency funds had been spent while allocating more.
“I think it's important for the board to not just know the total amount, but what are we paying for? What exactly was paid for?” said Supervisor Bruno Sabatier, whose district encompasses the spill area. He added that Carter “at one point” sent him a list of expenses.
“I can send the spreadsheet if the board would like an informational-only, with the breakdown of the cost so far,” Carter said.
Supervisor Brad Rasmussen said it would be helpful. “I wouldn’t mind seeing it,” he said.
Lake County News immediately requested the breakdown Carter mentioned by email but had received no response by the time of publication.
The spill and concerns over county recovery plan
The spill occurred on Jan. 11, following the rupture of a 16-inch force main near the north end of Robin Lane, operated by Lake County Sanitation District, overseen by Lake County Special Districts.
A total of 2.9 million gallons of sewer was released from the system. Special Districts’ most recent report to the state indicated recovery of 1.5 million gallons, claiming that the final spill volume was just under 1.4 million gallons, with 3,900 gallons flowing into waterways.
The spill has resulted in an ongoing local emergency, temporary relocation of some residents, and a public health advisory warning against using well water due to contamination concerns, affecting 164 homes relying on private water wells.
The incident command team, coled by Lake County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Service and the city of Clearlake, hired a hydrologist and determined that contamination of the aquifer could take an uncertain, extended period to clear.
The team identified installation of UV filtration and sanitization systems for impacted homes as the “long-term solution.” By last Thursday, 98 systems had been installed and 94 homes had been "released," meaning cleared to resume use of their wells, according to Clearlake City Manager Alan Flora’s update to the Clearlake City Council.
However, by Tuesday, 100 days after the spill, some impacted residents reported that the system has not been effective and said they still do not have safe water from their wells.
During public comment, Robin Lane resident Cassandra Hulbert raised concerns about water safety, the county's recovery approach and a lack of transparency.
“After 100 days, we're still asking these basic questions: is our water safe? What exactly happened? And how is this response being managed?” she said over Zoom. “At the same time, many of us are still paying out of pocket. We’re paying for water, we're paying for additional filtration, we're paying for self mitigation and for damage to systems like softeners that have been ruined by the event.”
“Continue the funding, but provide clear accounting,” she said. “Continue the work, but include the community.”
County and city officials hosted four town halls at the Clearlake City Hall with officials addressing residents’ concerns face-to-face after the spill. The last one in the series was held on Feb. 4, when the aquifer contamination and filtration system installation plan were first announced.
Since then, residents have not had an opportunity to raise their questions and concerns collectively in a town hall-style meeting with officials.
On Saturday, a few dozen residents protested on Main Street in Lakeport at Courthouse Square, across the street from the Special Districts office. Impacted residents, including Hulbert, organized the protest.
Adults and kids showed up with signs. One read, “Infrastructure failed; Sewage in our wells!” Another read, “Clean water is a human right.” Yet another: “Unsafe water is not a solution.”
At Tuesday’s meeting Sabatier said he was at the protest to talk to the residents.
“I do have a list of concerns that I want to have a conversation about,” he said. “What does the ending look like?”
“There's obviously impact for those that are still living there, still dealing with this, even after the release and being told that their water is good to drink,” Sabatier said.
The discussion lasted for less than 10 minutes and the board unanimously approved the $250,000 allocation.
Lingzi Chen is a staff reporter at Lake County News and a 2024-2026 California Local News Fellow. Email her at lchen@lakeconews.com.
