If anything can illustrate the concept of public goods, an Encinitas Historical Society board member said, it’s the sewer system. With that introduction, General Manager Mike Thornton of the San Elijo Joint Powers Authority on Oct. 4 recounted the decades-long evolution of wastewater treatment in Encinitas and Solana Beach.

It’s easy to get Todd Hutchinson talking about wastewater treatment and how it has improved since the late ’90s.