Ladera Ranch HOA stupid excuse for spraying pesticide as cancer cluster kills kids and reclaimed water high salt content for irrigation, 'bad for glass'

One of the speakers at the Ladera Ranch HOA meeting on Wednesday Sept 9th, 2026 was Margaret Novak, a Santa Margarita Water District board member and Ladera Ranch Maintenance Corporation (LARMAC) board member (the pesticide sprayer people) who spoke in support of traditional pesticides and cited the need for them to keep Ladera Ranch’s landscaping looking pretty, no kidding she gets paid by the people who spray the pesticides, WTF? Margaret Novak was elected to the Santa Margarita Water District Board of Directors in 2024. The Santa Margarita Water District is governed by a five-member elected Governance Board of Directors Compensation Information that sets policies and oversees water services in south Orange County CA. Margaret Novak back in 2018 had been the Treasurer/Director at Ladera Ranch Maintenance Corporation (LARMAC).

Margaret Novak, on the SMWD Board of Directors receives a stipend of $340 per day, not to exceed 10 days per month, for attendance at District business-related meetings. Outside of her public role on the SMWD water board, Margaret Novak primary corporate business profession is as the Director of Business Development at Michael Baker International, a prominent global engineering, planning, and consulting firm. Margaret Novak serves on the Ladera Ranch Maintenance Corporation (LARMAC) Board, which was under fire at the recent Ladera Ranch HOA meeting!

Ladera Ranch HOA stupid excuse for spraying pesticide as cancer cluster kills kids and reclaimed water high salt content for irrigation, 'bad for glass'. Ladera Ranch CA Community advocates have identified roughly 9 to 12 cases of Ewing sarcoma and synovial sarcoma diagnosed in and around Ladera Ranch, with residents tracking at least six deaths. “Unfortunately, we spend $44,000 a month on a certified landscape,” Jeff Moll, a resident who plans to run for an HOA board position, told The Post. Residents fired back that LARMAC isn’t even looking for competing bids to determine whether a greener approach could be done for less. The board president, Chase Fitzpatrick, is reportedly not “completely” on board with the community’s push to eliminate pesticides altogether, a source told The Post. Chase Fitzpatrick, President, Ladera Ranch Maintenance Corporation (LARMAC).

Ladera Ranch CA drinking water from Colorado River and State Water Project has high levels of TDS solids gives distinct salty, metallic taste and notable water hardness. Statement is completely right—the drinking water in Ladera Ranch, CA, which is supplied by the Santa Margarita Water District (SMWD), relies heavily on imported water from the Colorado River Aqueduct and the State Water Project. This specific blend is notorious for high Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and severe water hardness, which directly causes the distinct taste and plumbing issues you mentioned. The Salty Taste (High TDS): As the Colorado River flows south, it dissolves massive amounts of natural salts and mineral deposits (like sulfates and chlorides) from the surrounding earth. By the time it reaches Southern California, the TDS levels are notably high. This gives the tap water a noticeably briny or heavy flavor. According to the SMWD 2026 Water Quality Report, Ladera Ranch's drinking water meets or surpasses all federal and state health-based drinking water standards. The EPA and state regulators categorize TDS, hardness, and taste as "Secondary Standards," meaning they are considered purely aesthetic and cosmetic issues rather than health hazards, of course they do!

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