CMSD turns 80!

80th Anniversary LogoThis February, the Costa Mesa Sanitary District (CMSD) celebrated 80 years of service to the community! To commemorate this anniversary, we’d like to share our origin story:

In the early 1940s, residents of what is now Costa Mesa were disposing of trash in a landfill that was owned and operated by the City of Newport Beach (the City of Costa Mesa wasn’t incorporated until 1953). The Newport Beach landfill was reaching capacity, so it was mandated that only Newport Beach residents could continue disposing of waste there. Concerned for their community’s health and safety, the residents filed a petition with the Orange County Board of Supervisors on June 22, 1943, for the formation of CMSD under the provisions of California’s Health and Safety Code. On February 11, 1944, the Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution formalizing CMSD’s existence and CMSD began providing residential trash collection service with its original dump site located on West 19th Street in Costa Mesa. At that time, Costa Mesa did not have a sewer system. As was common back then, the community had cesspools and septic tanks for sewage. Shortly after its formation in 1944,  CMSD began drawing up plans for its sewer system, but there was a shortage of cast iron sewer pipe because iron was being prioritized for World War II. After the war ended, CMSD expanded its operations and built its sewer system by 1953. And the rest, as they say, is history!

As we look ahead, this year will bring another big change: the transition from a two-cart to a three-cart collection system. Throughout this year, keep an eye out for upcoming events and town hall meetings as we work with the community to prepare for this shift in behavior. Our hard-working team of 21 employees extends our sincerest gratitude to our customers for allowing us to serve you and the community every day. We are a small but mighty special district, and we pledge to continue protecting public health and the environment for current and future generations for another 80 years and beyond!