Camarillo approves staff recommendations on 2025 public health goals water report; desalter highlighted

The Camarillo City Council accepted staff recommendations on the city’s 2025 Public Health Goals report for drinking water after a brief presentation and a public hearing with no public speakers.

Eric Maple, the city’s water resources manager, told the council the public-health-goals report is informational and not itself regulatory; it summarizes constituents identified by the state Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, explains health-based guidance and the rough cost of removing constituents to the public health goal level, and supplements the annual consumer confidence report.

Maple emphasized the city’s recent investments in drinking-water quality, including the desalter treatment facility that began producing water in early 2023 and now provides about 40 to 50% of the city’s drinking water. He said the desalter uses reverse osmosis — a technology the state lists as best available to remove many named constituents — and noted planned projects to update groundwater wells.

After the presentation the council opened the public hearing; no speakers had signed up. Councilmember Trimblay moved to adopt the staff recommendations; the motion passed unanimously. City staff said copies of the full report are available at City Hall public works counter and on the city website.

Ending: The report is informational and will remain part of the city’s public records; future capital projects linked to water-supply reliability and treatment will return to council as required for funding and approvals.