Bloomingcamp Ranch has affordable solution. ‘We are not (going) anywhere,’ co-owner says.

The owners of Bloomingcamp Ranch near Oakdale have some hopeful news for loyal customers.

They will submit an affordable water treatment plan to the county by a deadline Friday and will stay in business.

“The most important thing is the county and state are allowing us to make a correction plan that is very cost-effective,” co-owner Mathew Steinberg said.

The proposal still requires state approval, but recent communications between the business and county and state officials placed a focus on an affordable solution, Steinberg said.

The ranch off Highway 120 east of Oakdale was threatened with up to $1,000 a day in regulatory fines if it did not submit an engineering memo for reducing nitrates in its small public water system. A well and supply lines at Bloomingcamp Ranch are connected to the Farm Stand, Bake Shop and restrooms.

Three weeks ago, Steinberg said he was possibly looking at more than $200,000 in costs for a treatment system to comply with the county order, which would have forced the 40-plus-year-old business to close.

“We are not planning to go anywhere,” Steinberg said this week.

The business, which is popular with tourists and local residents alike, will keep using bottled water for drinking and food preparation in the bakery, costing $80 a month. The ranch, including orchards, the country-style food sales and park grounds, is proposing reverse osmosis treatment for tap water in the restrooms, with a capital cost of $1,000, Steinberg said.

The ranch has been under a compliance order to reduce unacceptable levels of nitrates in the water, which is a health threat to infants. Even with “don’t drink from faucet” signs in the public bathrooms, regulators were concerned some people would ignore the warning or a mother might fill an infant formula bottle from the tap.

The owners acknowledged the need to clean up the water, but have searched for a solution that would not break the business.

Steinberg said the ranch received an outpouring of support from customers and friends following a Modesto Bee story last month on small-business struggles with costs of providing clean water in unincorporated areas. A longtime customer created a Save Bloomingcamp Ranch gofundme account with a goal of raising $300,000 for treatment equipment.

Steinberg said he appreciated the generosity but will suggest the $975 in gofundme donations is given to charity.

“Everyone knows Bloomingcamps and everyone has a story about it,” said Ashley Olson of Modesto, who created the account. When she was growing up, her family drove out to the ranch for the freshly baked pies.

“It is nostalgic and a good happy place for the community,” Olson said.

Stanislaus County is mandated by state government to regulate about 200 water systems that have less than 200 service hookups. Bloomingcamp Ranch is considered a small public system because the business serves at least 25 customers a day.

Jami Aggers, county environmental resources director, said the business owners promised to meet Friday’s deadline for turning in the proposal. The solution still needs a stamp of approval from the State Water Resources Control Board.

The state agency had no comment Wednesday, saying it has not seen the plan.

Steinberg has said a new well would cost around $20,000. In a valley plagued by increasing contaminants in groundwater, however, there’s no guarantee the well wouldn’t soon be tainted, he said.

This story was originally published May 8, 2019 at 2:35 PM.