A NEW BEGINNING: Rebuilding Our Sanitary System March 2009 Introducing Ourselves • Independent, local Special District • Formed in 1955 • Providing wastewater service: Collect, treat and recycle Garbage franchise regulation (County only)
Exactly What Is a Sanitary System? • More to it than you might think: Collection System • Main sewer pipelines (101 miles) • Private lateral sewer pipelines Pump Stations (28) • Pump station force mains (6.7 miles) Treatment Plant • Wastewater treatment facilities • Reclaimed water treatment facilities Reclamation Area
Storm Drains and Sanitary Sewers are NOT the Same • Storm Drains • Private Laterals • Public Sewers collect runoff connect a home collect sewage and and stormwater or business to the deliver it to a dumping it sanitary sewers treatment plant for untreated into cleaning before the Bay discharge to the Bay or recycling Award Winning Collection System Private sewer lateral Pump Station Sewer Main
Treatment Plant And More… • Recycled Water • Solar Power • Wildlife ponds • Treated water discharge
Where We Stand Today • Our sanitary system has been working for us for many decades • We have worked hard to take care of it Continuous, rigorous maintenance of aging system • Result in 2008: awarded collection system of the year in three counties Low spill rate Overflows 500% below the average for Marin County We’re Hanging On…But Barely • With continuous effort, we have wrung every ounce of value from the system • Many parts are aging and at the end of their useful service lives • Tough new regulations have raised the bar Zero spills, no overflows, higher treatment standards, limits on discharge, and more Heavy penalties, fines for failure to comply
Where We Stand Today (cont’d) • Invested about $16 million in last 5 years • Still, over the years we have had to delay some important maintenance, repair and replacement • But we deferred a rate increase until we could complete all of our facilities plans Giving the System a Physical • District conducted a detailed engineering assessment of every part of the system • Analyzed many alternative solutions • Sought the least costly approach • Produced a plan that will provide a major overhaul of the system Will correct deficiencies, meet standards, efficiently and effectively Seek to remain a low-cost service provider
Industrial, corrosive environment Facilities over 50 years old
WHAT WE NEED TO DO Problems and Solutions Problem: Collection System • Decrease Inflow and Infiltration Inflow: rainwater enters directly into pipes via illegal connection to roof drains, area drains, sump pumps Infiltration: groundwater enters the aging underground sewer pipes via cracks, disconnected pipes and broken pipes • Result: Massive amounts of outside water enters system, causing backups, spills, broken pipes, overloading of treatment plant…and can lead to fines
Decrease Inflow and Infiltration • Sewer Relief Valve Proposed Solution Inspect and Fix Sewer Laterals Sewer laterals belong to the property owner • Upper lateral: from building to property line • Lower lateral: from property line to sewer main There are as many miles of sewer laterals as there are of sewer mains • Laterals are shallow. Greater than 50% of the problem District lateral inspection / loan replacement program will start to replace privately owned defective laterals
Proposed Solution (cont’d) Repair/Replace Problem Mainlines Pinpoint troubled pipeline areas via TV inspection, smoke tests Annually replace approximately 3,700 feet or 0.7% of our sewer main lines and lower laterals Enlarge selected main lines Provide capacity for excess water during storms Problem: Pump Stations • Recently, a sanitary agency was held responsible for large sewer spill into Bay Caused by pump station equipment failure Resulted in major costs to clean up mess, repair pump station, pay fines, etc • Our district has 28 pump stations Convey sewage to treatment plant Some have advanced remote alarms, controls and generators, others do not • Also, District uses pressurized pipelines Some made of material that can corrode, fail or break
Proposed Solution Equip all pump stations with automatic alarms, remote controls Provide immediate information on problems and ability to make remote fixes, which reduces operating costs Repair aging portions of pressurized pipelines Change pipeline material, eliminate corrosion problem Problem: Treatment Plant • Current treatment process blends primary and secondary treated flows during high flows Now, blending is discouraged by state regulators Upgrade to full secondary will be required • Aging plant facilities require significant improvements to meet regulatory standards and avoid catastrophic failure Rehabilitation of existing infrastructure, capacity increases, and installation of new operating equipment Plant capacity struggles to treat wet weather flows effectively
Proposed Solution Gradually upgrade treatment plant facilities to full secondary level Meet current and future regulatory standards Triple secondary capacity to meet increased flows in wet weather Test new technologies to increase efficiency and lower costs Problem: Recycled Water • Effluent discharge to local creek not allowed in summer months (June – October) Effluent is sent to recycled water facility (tertiary treatment) and used by Marin Municipal Water District for customers within the District Also sent to wetlands and wildlife ponds and irrigation pastures
Proposed Solution Develop cooperative, cost sharing agreements with North Marin Water District and Marin Municipal Water District Serve Hamilton area Increase use of recycled water in region by expanding the District recycled water plant Problem: Reclamation Area • Reclamation Area levees protect wetlands, solar panels, wildlife ponds from creek overflows and high tide Bay waters Levees require more maintenance and improvements • Miller Creek maintenance Undertake maintenance of Miller Creek on District Property
Proposed Solution Increase levee maintenance Increased protection from Bay high tides Protect solar panels Preserve environmental benefits of Reclamation Area Miller Creek maintenance Avoid catastrophic failure of levees HOW IT ALL ADDS UP: Revenue Needs and Rate Changes
Information About Costs • Costs of proposed project are summarized over a five year period: 2009-2010 through 2013-2014 • Costs include standard industry and CPI indexes • Changes to the sewer service rate are shown for a single residential dwelling unit • Non- residential rate changes are similar, but calculated differently Proposed Project Costs • Sewer collection system improvements Sewer mains and lower laterals: $930,000/yr Increased sewer main capacity: $1,493,735/yr Lateral inspection, repair loans: $171,800/yr • Pump station, force mains improvements Pump stations: $220,500/yr Pressurized pipelines: $178,000/yr • Treatment plant upgrade: $9,772,905 $775,000/yr
Proposed Project Costs (cont’d) • Cooperative water recycling program Cost sharing with other agencies: $3,433,000 • Reclamation area improvements Levee and Miller Creek maintenance: $151,162 • General upgrades, repairs: $738,000 Proposed New Rates • Responsible rate level for single residential dwelling unit*, total cost spread over 5 yrs Current 2008-2009: $303/yr = $0.83/day Proposed 2009-2010: $493/yr = $1.39/day Proposed 2010-2011: $563/yr = $1.54/day Proposed 2011-2012: $613/yr = $1.68/day Proposed 2012-2013: $662/yr = $1.81/day Proposed 2013-2014: $680/yr = $1.86/day *Proportional costs for non-residential
Is Project Affordable? • Raises daily costs about $1 over five years • Rates remain low compared to neighbor agencies • Avoids legal and environmental problems Regulatory fines, unacceptable local conditions, damage to environment, lawsuits • Maintains appropriate level of community sanitary service A Balanced Plan • Proposed plan does not solve every problem Addresses only most critical items Based on detailed engineering assessment • Costs are responsible, realistic Takes into account today’s difficult economic climate • Remains among lowest rates in the county
Comparison of Monthly Sewer Service Charges Rates Among Lowest LAS GALLINAS VALLEY SD What’s Next Next Steps Date Community presentations March and early April Bring feedback to Board March and early April Board review and finalize sewer March and early April service charge Send Proposition 218 legal notice to Later April, 2009 all property owners Hearing at least 45 days later June 4, 2009 If passed submit to County Mid August 2009 Appears on property tax September 2009
Recommend
More recommend
