City of Gonzales
PUBLIC WORKS / CITY ENGINEER DEPARTMENT
STAFF REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: November 17, 2025
FROM: Patrick Dobbins, Public Works Director/City Engineer THROUGH: Carmen Gil, City Manager
SUBJECT: Adoption of Ordinance No. 2025-153 Updating Chapter 10.16 Sewer Use
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council waive reading, and read by title only and adopt Ordinance No. 2025-153, An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Gonzales Updating Chapter 10.16 Sewer Use of the Gonzales Municipal Code.
BACKGROUND
Wastewater discharged to the City sewer system is governed by the City’s Sewer Ordinance codified in Municipal Code Chapter 10.16. Expanding the City’s wastewater system by building an Industrial Wastewater System (currently under construction) and upgrading the Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant necessitated the City to update the Sewer Ordinance. The updated Sewer Ordinance will align City requirements with current State regulations, Regional Water Board permit requirements, and formalize existing City processes.
The MWWTP receives approximately 65 percent of its wastewater from three significant users (Taylor Farms, Del Monte/Mann Packing and Braga Fresh). Discharges from those facilities contain cleanizers and sanitizers that occasionally exceed the prescribed limit resulting in disrupting the biological treatment process at the MWWTP. These upsets result in significant periods of time during which the MWWTP struggles to treat wastewater.
The updated Sewer Ordinance includes:
1. A Source Control Program, prepared under Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations to regulate significant wastewater dischargers.
AGENDA
ITEM
17 2. Requires pretreatment of ag-wash water by processing facilities before discharging to the City’s sewer system.
3. Establishment of a formal Pretreatment Permit Program
4. Enforcement measures (inspections, regular self-reporting and penalties) The objectives of the Source Control Program are to prevent:
• Interference and/or upset with biological treatment process at the MWWTP • Pass-through of conventional and toxic pollutants
• Harm to the sanitary sewer system or WWTP infrastructure from pollutants • Contamination of biosolids at the MWWTP
• Worker or public exposure to chemical hazards
REVIEW & ANALYSIS
The City engaged Larry Walker Associates to prepare the updated Sewer Ordinance and supporting documents. The consultant’s scope of work included the following steps:
• Evaluated the current wastewater treatment system processes • Prepared a “Local Limits Plan” which identified what can and cannot be discharged to the sewer system. This will protect the biological treatment process at the City’s WWTP from interference from cleanizers and sanitizers discharged by the processing facilities • Drafted an updated Sewer Ordinance for review by City staff and City Attorney. • Prepared Pretreatment Program Administrative Manual
The updated Sewer Ordinance includes the flowing support documents:
• Local Limits Report
• Source Control Program Administrative Procedures Manual • Current User Inventory
• Wastewater Discharge Application
• Wastewater Permit
• Inspection Checklist
• Enforcement Response Plan
City staff provided the draft sewer ordinance to the major wastewater dischargers (Taylor Farms, Del Monte/Mann Packing, Braga Fresh, Green Valley Farm Supply, Silva Farms) for their review and no comments were received.
At the November 3, 2025 City Council meeting, the Council waived reading, introduced and read by title only Ordinance No. 2025-153 which will amend Chapter 10.16 of the Gonzales City Code to reflect the changes referenced above. Staff recommends that the Council conduct a public hearing (which was noticed in accordance with all legal requirements) to receive comments, waive reading, and thereafter adopt and read Ordinance No. 2025-153 by title only this evening.
How Recommendation Supports the Vision
Gonzales will continue to be a safe, clean, family-friendly community, diverse in its heritage, and committed to working collaboratively to preserve and retain its small town charm.
Explain: Updating the Sewer Ordinance will improve the performance of the city wastewater treatment plant and therefore supports our vision of preserving the city’s infrastructure.
Explain how the Recommendation Directly Implements the Mission The City Council and Staff of the City of Gonzales will realize our Vision by providing the leadership, commitment and resources necessary to provide excellent services that enhance the quality of life of our diverse community. X Yes ____ No____ N/A
Explain: See above.
City services will be delivered in a cost-effective, respectful and friendly manner to ensure the safety and well being of the residents and the promotion of business, recreational, housing and employment opportunities in an environmentally sustainable manner. X Yes ____No ____ N/A Explain: See above.
Strong fiscal policies allow us to provide appropriate infrastructure for:
• Public Safety Yes X No N/A
• Housing X Yes No N/A
• Recreation Yes X No N/A
• Environment X Yes No N/A
• Education Yes X No N/A
Explain: See Vision above.
ALTERNATIVES
None at this time.
BUDGET IMPACT
Adoption of the proposed Ordinance will require additional staff and consultant time to oversee and enforce the new Sewer Pretreatment Program.
CEQA
The adoption of this ordinance is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act, based on 14 California Code of Regulations Section 15061(b)(3), where, as the case here, it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment; and Section 15060(c) (3)- the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378. The adoption of the sewer use ordinance is a regulatory act, and will not physically alter the city’s infrastructure, but instead, will establish standards for its use.
CONCLUSIONS
It is recommended that the City Council waive reading, and read by title only and adopt Ordinance No. 2025-153, An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Gonzales Updating Chapter 10.16 Sewer Use of the Gonzales Municipal Code.
Attachments:
1. Public Hearing Notice
2. Ordinance No. 2025-153 with Exhibit A