The fruits of labor in Napa not only produce wine but also a lot of wastewater, and in quantities that Napa County cannot manage nor treat. So that's why 12,000 truckloads of it head to Oakland to be processed each year, reports Janelle Wetzstein in the Napa Valley Register
American Canyon’s Ramos Bennett. is incredulous: “Here we are, a premiere wine destination of the world and, whether it is because of economics or technology, we can’t even deal with our own waste — a byproduct of our advertised industry.”
How much wastewater are those 12,000 truckloads making the 40-ish mile trip to Oakland carrying per year? 74 million gallons.
Some commenters feel this is an issue of unchecked private enterprise putting excess demands on public facilities, with taxpayers eventually footing the bill for expanded services. Their thoughts:
"Privatize the profits and have the public foot the bill for external costs. Pretty familiar story."
"Why are we permitting so many wineries that can't take care of their own waste? Isn't that supposed to be part of the permit process? Why is the county allowing this?"
Who should pay for expanded treatment faciliities in Napa?