Camphora’s Hacienda Apartments Sewer Crisis: State Held June 2026 Hearing, July 29 Deadline Needs Follow-Up

CAMPHORA, Monterey County — October 30, 2026. State water regulators spent much of 2026 trying to secure a reliable sewer solution for Hacienda Apartments, a 24-unit farmworker housing complex at 32097 McCoy Road near Soledad. The Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board says the property is served by a failing septic system and has worked with local agencies since 2021 to identify and fund an alternative.

What happened this year?

According to the state Water Board’s dedicated Hacienda Apartments Wastewater Consolidation Project page, regulators held a public meeting June 3, 2026 to hear from residents and local officials about the possible extension of municipal sewer service. The agency provided information in English and Spanish and posted public comments and meeting recordings. The meeting was intended to explain options and gather testimony; its listing is not itself a final construction decision.

What deadline did the state set?

State staff sent the City of Soledad and the Hacienda landowners a six-month notice on July 29, 2025, calling for negotiations to arrange adequate sewer service. A further letter dated January 22, 2026 extended that period through July 29, 2026. The state explains that it has statutory powers to pursue a sewer-service connection under California Water Code section 13289, while funding and project applications would still require action by the city or Monterey County.

What is known after July 29?

The Water Board’s project page, last publicly marked updated July 21, 2026, describes the meeting and letters but does not establish whether a later order was issued, negotiations succeeded, a construction grant was approved or a sewer connection was completed. As of this review, California58 has not independently verified those later milestones. The July 29 deadline has passed, but its expiration alone should not be reported as a final enforcement decision.

Is this the same as Camphora Apartments?

No. Hacienda Apartments at 32097 McCoy Road is a separate 24-unit property. Nearby Camphora Apartments at 32101 McCoy Road was reconstructed into a 44-unit affordable development in 2016. The state wastewater project describes Hacienda’s septic system; its allegations or service conditions should not be assigned automatically to the neighboring Camphora Apartments property or any household sharing the Camphora place name.

How can residents follow the case?

The state maintains meeting materials, the two notice letters and an email subscription list on the official project page. Questions may be directed to WB-RB3-WWC@waterboards.ca.gov. Residents who need assistance with an immediate sewage overflow should contact the relevant local environmental health or emergency service rather than wait for a grant or consolidation decision.

Sources: Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board — Hacienda Apartments Wastewater Consolidation Project, 2026 updates and public meeting; Official state project status and document links.

Editor’s note: This is a report on a 2026 regulatory process. State-reported septic system problems are attributed to the Water Board. Post–July 29 outcomes and present site-specific conditions remain unverified and are not asserted here.

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