New landfill ‘a major milestone’ for city

Watsonville city on Tuesday reopened its landfill after a seven-year closure, unveiling two new areas that will give the city its own waste facility for about 75 years. 

City officials hailed the opening of Cell 4—located at 730 San Andreas Road—as “a major milestone in sustainable waste management.”

“Reopening the landfill strengthens our ability to manage waste locally, keeping costs down for residents and ensuring a more sustainable future,” said Watsonville Mayor Maria Orozco.  

The landfill closed in 2018 after Cell 3 reached capacity. The new cell is the fourth of five planned cells, and has an estimated life of 25 years. 

Once it is full, it will be capped, and then Cell 5—the final one—will be constructed and opened. Cell 5 is estimated to have a 50-year life.

Previously, the city was spending $1.8 million to haul its waste 20 miles to the Monterey Regional Waste Management District in Marina.

“All of our recycle, all of our food scraps, all of our yard waste, all of our garbage, to Monterey Regional,” said Watsonville waste superintendent  Ray Martin. “That puts a lot of wear and tear on our equipment.”

Martin stressed the importance of everyone continuing to recycle.

The project was made possible through a $6 million Infrastructure State Revolving Fund loan from the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank.

The newly constructed 7.1-acre Cell 4 features excavation, grading, drainage enhancements, new access roads, scale upgrades, and a new trash compactor. 

While solid waste disposal will now be handled locally, recycling and organics will continue to be processed in Marina.  

 “This project is a great example of how effective asset management serves as a long-term investment in our City’s future,” said Public Works and Utilities Director Courtney Lindberg. “By managing and disposing of our waste locally, we’re making operations more efficient, keeping rates stable, and reducing our impact on the local environment.”