Editor:

Early Monday morning, as I drove through The Lakes to take our daughter to school, I noticed a commotion in the southwest corner of the lake near Acadia and the Oasis bridge that looked like something of a military bivouac. The big DB pumper truck was there, as well as a couple of other work trucks and cars. I recognized Virgil, our town manager; Diane Stevens from the HOA, and at least a half dozen other DB faces working intensely on what was obviously some emergency event.

At first I felt disappointed, as I realized that Discovery Bay had experienced yet another (sewage) spill. But after stopping and talking with Virgil, I felt much better once I heard how the town was handling the incident.

Virgil and town staff arrived minutes after being notified of the spill, and Veolia, our town’s new water company, responded within 30 minutes. Virgil had already contacted the Department of Emergency Services, and through them, the Department of Fish & Wildlife and the Department of Health were also contacted. Randy from Common Interest Management was on his way, and Brandon from the Hoffman Company was also en route.

The pumps had already been turned off, and town staff and the crew from Veolia were working on solving the problem, which according to Virgil, appeared to be a broken coupler. Safety cones and warning signs had already been deployed, bleach was being sprayed on the concrete and plans for taking water samples from the lake were already underway.

During the 10 minutes I was there, Virgil was on the phone four times, and he also warned pedestrians and passing dog owners to steer clear of the area. I took my camera out and shot several photos to document the efficiency unfolding before me, and as I got back into my car and headed to work, my wife and I nodded to CSD Director Ray Tetreault, who had just arrived on the scene.

But what impressed me even more was that when I drove my son home from a late evening at school, Virgil’s truck passed my car within the Lakes’ gates. The fact that he was still there and on the job clearly shows that the CSD and its staff have come a long way since the (first) Lakeshore spill.

Chris Finetti

Discovery Bay