BACKGROUND:
In the 1990s, the State Regional Water Quality Control Board (SRWQCB) began discussing threats to drinking water quality with cities in the Coachella Valley. The SRWQCB worked with the Desert Water Agency (DWA) and the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) to conduct studies of cities with high septic system use in residential areas. They found contaminants including nitrates, bacteria, and viruses from septic tank seepage in the upper levels of the underground aquifer serving Cathedral City and other desert cities. The study findings were significant and identified installation of sanitary sewers and elimination of septic tanks as a vital step to stop further spread of contaminants and to permanently protect the area’s groundwater.
DWA and the CVWD provide water and sewer services to Cathedral City residents.
DWA generally serves our residents west of the Whitewater River Stormwater Channel and CVWD generally serves east of the Whitewater River Channel. Since, DWA does not have a wastewater reclamation plant it relies on connections to the City of Palm Springs or CVWD, which have wastewater treatment plants, to treat the wastewater that is collected and transported to these plants, respectively.
The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) administers the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) Program which provides planning and construction grants for converting septic tank served areas to sewer collection system served areas (“septic to sewer”) in residential areas. Building on a federal investment of $46.8 billion, the State CWSRFs have provided $145 billion to communities through 2020. States have provided financial assistance to over 42,800 projects to protect public health, protect valuable aquatic resources, and meet environmental standards benefiting hundreds of millions of people. Cathedral City’s Septic to Sewer Project would qualify under the wide range of water infrastructure projects funded through the CWSRF.
On February 9, 2022, the City Council approved a Professional Service Agreement with Woodard and Curran Consulting (Consultant) to provide CWSRF Program grant related services required to submit a planning grant for the City’s Septic to Sewer Project as outlined in the discussion below.
DISCUSSION:
The Consultant and City Staff identified the five residential areas in Cathedral City that are on individual septic systems and are eligible for the CWSRF (maps are attached to this Staff Report):
•CVWD Service area projects:
oWhispering Palms Neighborhood
oSouth City (Ocotillo Park area)
oPomegranate Lane area
oRoyal Palms and Caliente Sands Mobile Home Parks (MHP) ▪Note: Subject to further allottee and private ownership approval, respectively.
•DWA Service area:
oLakeview Condos
The Consultant is working on drafting the CWSRF planning grant application and supporting documents which require an authorized signature. The SWRCB requires that a Certified Authorizing Resolution be submitted with the executed application and supporting documents. The Resolution should clearly identify the official(s) authorized to execute the necessary planning grant applications and related documents.
The application and supporting documents are required to receive CWSRF Program funds. A blanket Resolution is preferred over a specific individual Resolution to expedite the approval of agreements and processing funding.
City Staff requests that the City Council authorize the City Manager and/or designee to negotiate and execute the necessary CWSRF Applications and related documents required for submitting the Septic-to-Sewer Project planning grant application to the SWRCB.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact for this authorizing Resolution. The Consultant fees for securing the planning grant through the CWSRF Program will be reimbursed by the SWRCB once the Planning Grant Funding Agreement is executed. After the Agreement is executed, City Staff will solicit proposals from design consultants.