Bolsa Knolls Septic-to-Sewer Conversion Remains a Planning Issue: What Salinas and State Records Establish

BOLSA KNOLLS, Monterey County — October 30, 2026. Long-term wastewater service is another infrastructure question for Bolsa Knolls, separate from the neighborhood’s well-known flooding along Santa Rita Creek. The City of Salinas’s sanitary sewer master plan identifies a small area near Rogge Road already served through a special assessment district, while much of the rest of the unincorporated community relies on onsite septic systems and is included in planning assumptions for future city sewer service.

What has Salinas planned?

The city’s 2023 Sanitary Sewer Master Plan Update models a potential future connection of remaining Bolsa Knolls properties to the city’s wastewater collection system. That is a long-range capacity assumption, not a construction contract or notice that all homes have already been connected. The master plan does not by itself establish parcel-specific costs, assessment votes or a schedule for individual street excavations.

What has the state Water Board done?

California’s Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board held a February 27, 2024 community listening session about wastewater concerns and opportunities to move from individual septic tanks to a community sewer network. Its 2025–26 strategic program priorities also included outreach to build community engagement in Bolsa Knolls. These statements document public planning and outreach priorities, but do not confirm a signed construction agreement, a grant award for a completed system or mandatory conversion of every residence.

Why are septic connections discussed?

The Water Board’s statewide Wastewater Consolidation Program addresses inadequate onsite systems that can affect groundwater and surface water, particularly in underserved communities. An aging septic system can pose risks in certain circumstances, but program eligibility or a community planning designation does not establish a violation on every Bolsa Knolls parcel. Individual wells and septic systems require their own inspection or sampling evidence.

Where can homeowners get more information?

The Water Board lists WB-RB3-WWC@waterboards.ca.gov for questions about wastewater consolidation. Owners should also contact the City of Salinas and Monterey County Environmental Health regarding their parcel’s actual current sewer or septic service, permit history and any subsequent local decision. The latest official decisions must be checked before budgeting for construction or interpreting a future fee.

Sources: City of Salinas — 2023 Sanitary Sewer Master Plan Update, Bolsa Knolls septic conversion; Central Coast Water Board — Wastewater Consolidation Program, current program framework; Water Board — February 27, 2024 Bolsa Knolls community listening session.

Editor’s note: This is a public-records explainer drawing on 2023–26 planning and outreach documentation. A completed sewer conversion, approved budget or mandatory hookup has not been independently verified as of October 30, 2026.

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