A representative from the court-appointed receiver's office said some system improvements have been implemented, but long-term stability for Big Basin Water Co. is still an open question even after the water provider, with help from the county, won more than $1 million in grant funding from local, state and federal authorities since November.
The county's Health Services Agency has created a two-year expenditure plan for $900,000 in settlement funds that will be shared and recommended for approval at the County Board of Supervisors' 9 a.m. meeting, happening Tuesday at the county government building in Santa Cruz.
"Without this funding . more than 500 households could have been without drinking water within a couple of months," said Supervisor Bruce McPherson at Tuesday's county Board of Supervisors meeting where the grant was formally accepted.
While it might be easy to get sentimental in the wake of these announcements, neither supervisor plans to take their foot off the gas during the year they have left in office.
According to a summary of the judgment provided to Big Basin customers by the Central Coast Water Board, the Moore's have been prohibited from ever operating, managing or owning a wastewater system in the future and are personally liable for up to $750,000 in civil penalties.