Belmont Sewer System Update &
Status of the 2023 State Water
Resources Control Board General Order
2 What is Belmont Sanitary Sewer System?
1. Collection System – Belmont PW Operations
• 75 miles of gravity sanitary sewers pipes and 3 miles of force mains range in size from 4 to 27 inches in diameter
• 1,500 manholes, 10 lift stations
• Approximately 8,000 privately owned/maintained sewer laterals
2. Treatment Plant – Belmont is a JPA member
• Sewage is conveyed to Silicon Valley Clean Water (SVCW) for treatment and disposal to the San Francisco Bay. SVCW is Joint Powers Authority serving the communities of Belmont,
Redwood City, San Carlos, and the West Bay Sanitary District Belmont Presentation Template Standard
8/8/20233
4 Belmont Sanitary Sewer System Facts
1. The City’s sewer system consists of fifteen basins
2. Each year several basins are evaluated by CCTV inspection and then design, repair, or replacement occurs depending on condition.
3. "Jetting" of sewer mains occurs year-round to prevent SSO's.
4. Enterprise funded via service charges collected from property owners on their bi-annual property tax bills (based on winter water usage).
5. Since 2000, half of the sewer system has been rehabilitated or replaced, greatly reducing inflow and infiltration (I & I) from city mains. 5 Belmont Sewer Lift Station Location Map
6 Operations and Maintenance Activity
1. Root Foaming program - removes roots in the gravity
system to proactively manage the main cause of sanitary sewer main blockages. Reoccurring root foaming
locations are slated for rehab to seal pipe defects.
2. Smoke Testing program - identifies defects in the gravity system, defects in the private laterals, and illegal cross connections.
Both programs combat inflow and infiltration (I&I) of
stormwater and groundwater into the sanitary sewer
7 Smoke Testing Program
Non-toxic smoke is distributed using blowers into manholes. The smoke travels through the sanitary sewers and escapes through any cracks in the pipe or broken cleanout caps. Defects are fixed by replacing or repairing the sewer lateral, or by replacing the cleanout cap. 8 Smoke Testing Program
INFORMATIONAL SUMMARY TABLE:
2022 Basins Smoke Tested: 1, 2, 14
Number of properties with defects: 17
Basin 1 and 2
Basin 14
9 Belmont Sewer System - Next Steps
Engineering staff to update three sewer ordinances:
1. Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) program
2. Sewer Lateral Point of Sale program.
3. Commercial trash enclosure requirements
Why these programs are so critical?
1. They will address deficiencies in the private sewer
laterals fairly, at low cost and over time.
2. They will reduce inflow and infiltration.
3. FOG program reduces potential for a backup or a sanitary sewer overflow (SSO)
10 Purpose of the State Water Board General Order
1. Federal/State prohibitions of contaminated water discharges (SSOs) to waters of the State;
2. Comply with specifications, notification, monitoring, reporting and recordkeeping requirements that implement the Clean Water Act;
3. Proactively operate and maintain resilient sewer systems to prevent spills. 11 2023 State Water Board General Order Purpose
4. Supersedes previous General Orders issued in 2006, 2008, & 2013
5. Eliminate discharges of sewage to waters of the State through effective implementation of a Sewer System Management Plan 12 Purpose of the State Water Board General Order
• Monitor, track, and analyze spills (SSOs) for ongoing system-specific performance improvements
FY Sanitary Sewer Overflows
2020 2
2021 2
2022 2
2023 1
• Belmont is only City in San Mateo County to never have a Cease-and-Desist order related to illicit discharge.
• Proactive approach to sanitary sewer pipe maintenance leads to:
1. Minimizing the frequency and severity of SSOs
2. Protecting public health, prevent hazards and
unnecessary damage to public and private property.
3. Performing routine system inspections to effectively maintain the sewer system to be addressed through
the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)
4. Provide regular cleaning (jetting) sewer main lines. 13 2023 State Water Board General Order Requirements
1. Certify continuation of coverage by June 5, 2023 – completed
2. Designate a Legally Responsible Official (LRO) that meets the updated qualifications in the reissued order by June 5, 2023 – completed
3. Upload Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP) by June 5, 2023 – completed
4. Update Agency’s Spill Emergency Response Plan by June 5, 2023 – nearly complete, under independent review
5. Conduct internal audit of the Sewer System Management Plan 3 years after the previous audit was done – by October 4. 2024 – nearly complete
6. Update Sewer System Management Plan and have it re-certified by Council by August 1, 2025 - to be done in 2025
14 QUESTIONS?