Roots, inflow and infiltration (I&I) and calcium deposits had caused major backups for the El Toro Water District in Lake Forest, Calif.The district, eight miles from the Pacific Ocean and surrounded by San Diego Creek to the north and Aliso Creek to the south, straddles the dividing line between the State Water Resources Control Board Regions 8 and 9. Sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) into these waterways arrive on Orange County’s million-dollar beaches.By creating aggressive I&I and root-control programs, establishing FOG permits, and going above and beyond the norm, the district has eliminated potential SSOs. The district won the Santa Ana
