Residents Decry Foul Smell

Residents of north Mission Viejo rallied at city hall on Nov. 12. Approximately 35 parents, children and other residents of north Mission Viejo asked city officials for answers about the foul smell rising from Upper Oso Reservoir. The 1.3-billion-gallon lake belongs to Santa Margarita Water District.

Residents who live near Upper Oso reported a foul odor on Oct. 28. SMWD didn’t respond until after evidence pointed to the reservoir. The city of Mission Viejo has been using water (off and on during the past two weeks) from the reservoir for irrigation, which contributes to distribution of the stench. SMWD declared the odor to be a harmless nuisance, but residents disagree, saying it makes them sick.

After two weeks without an effective remedy, residents organized the Nov. 12 protest. The group entered city hall’s lobby, asking to speak with council members. No council members were onsite, but two city employees (engineer Richard Schlesinger and administrator Paul Catsimanas) appeared. Schlesinger told the group to address complaints to SMWD. Catsimanas suggested calling the OC Health Dept. Catsimanas directs the city’s emergency operations program.

Following the Nov. 12 protest, the city announced it is working with SMWD but has no jurisdiction over the matter. Residents said “working with” means doing nothing while watching from a distance.

A Mission Viejo resident emailed this blog with an assessment of the city’s lack of response: “City officials not only failed, they didn’t try. When parents are reeling from the stench and their children are sick, it’s an emergency. Catsimanas is paid six figures annually to be responsible for emergency operations, and that’s a lot of money to tell residents to call someone else.”

Months ago, this blog received a message about the lack of emergency preparedness. A blog reader emailed, “I attended a meeting about emergency preparedness in another city, and the topic of tsunami readiness came up. An employee of a beach city said he received a call from Mission Viejo city hall about MV’s need to be tsunami ready. Audience members started laughing. I guess city hall employees are worried a tsunami could hit the coast and roll uphill for 10 miles to city hall. Mission Viejo is unprepared for all else, but we’re tsunami-ready.”

The SMWD board of directors will meet on Wed., Nov. 18, 7 p.m., at SMWD headquarters, 26111 San Antonio Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita.