City of Gonzales
CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT
STAFF REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: December 8, 2025
FROM: Carmen Gil, City Manager
THROUGH: Carmen Gil, City Manager
SUBJECT: Resolution No. 2025-87 Contracts with Waste Haulers
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 2025-87, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Gonzales to Allow the City Manager to Execute Contracts with Waste Haulers to Remove and Transport Effluent from the Gonzales Wastewater Treatment Facility, Ratifying Prior Hauling Expenditures, and Establishing a Not-to-Exceed Amount of $300,000 for Such Services.
BACKGROUND
As the City and its contractors work tirelessly to construct the brand-new Industrial Wastewater Treatment Facility (IWWTF), the City has encountered significant challenges to its efforts to manage the volume and content of effluent that is being deposited into the existing Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) ponds from the Industrial Agriculture Park. Ongoing and new percolation issues, a high-water table, low water quality and the constant flow being discharged continue to pose new problems for the WWTF preventing it from operating effectively. The WWTF was constructed in the 1940’s with the current configuration constructed in 1982 and its last major improvements done in 2006 when its capacity was increased to 1.3 million gallons/day (MGD).
Currently the WWTF is receiving effluent from three major dischargers: Taylor Farms, Braga Fresh and Del Monte Foods. This constant flow of approximately 1 million gallons a day along with the City’s municipal flow is stretching the WWTF to its limits. Staff must continuously analyze the flows and capacity to ensure that it can accommodate the daily discharge. External factors also adversely impact the overall health of the WWTF, such as squirrel holes that create leakage and integrity issues on the levees, unstable and oversaturated ground, high groundwater and rain . These challenges make it extremely difficult for staff to contain the water that has settled into the ponds, much of which is not percolating at an acceptable rate, and they must figure out how to make additional room to hold the next day’s (week’s) AGENDA
ITEM
14 flow. Hauling wastewater out of the WWTF to another waste treatment facility is one of the measures staff can deploy to provide some room in the ponds so that there is a place to absorb the next day’s flow.
Without offsite treatment, the WWTP’s ponds could easily overflow causing major issues for those who depend on City treatment and potential significant fines imposed by the Regional Water Quality Board.
Overflows also pose a risk of potential liability to adjacent property owners. Therefore, the City must do whatever it can to maintain a stable facility and prevent overflows and breaches. Hauling wastewater to the Soledad Sanitary Sewer Collection System has been a measure of last resort, but one that the City has had to deploy to maintain the WWTF’s operations and integrity. Off-site treatment of effluent was employed by the City approximately a year ago and then discontinued when conditions at the WWTF improved. As was reported by Staff to the Council at the November 17, 2025 City Council meeting, the unexpected confluence of conditions referenced above necessitated the recommencement of hauling services as of November 17, 2025.
REVIEW & ANALYSIS
Transporting wastewater to the Soledad Sewer Collection System is not ideal and will only be done when it is absolutely necessary. However, we must maintain a stable plant to continue City and industrial park operations and ultimately allow for the rehab work at the current ponds to take place so that they can function properly. As a result of the conditions at the WWTF and the constant flow of effluent described above, the City has no other choice but to truck some of the wastewater over to Soledad’s plant to provide relief.
Due to the urgent need to provide relief to the City’s wastewater treatment facilities, the City commenced hauling services with Green Line, A&G Pumping and Mission Portable & Service on an as-needed on November 17, 2025, and such services have continued through November 27th at the current cost of $150,000. The City anticipates that there may be a need to continue to utilize such services if it encounters a situation where water needs to be removed from the ponds in order to make room for the effluent in order to maintain its stability for an additional $150,00 for a total estimated cost not to exceed $300,000.
Staff is now requesting that the Council adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to enter into contracts with various waste haulers using the City’s standard contract form, setting a not-to-exceed amount of $300,000 for hauling services, and ratifying the previous expenditure of $150,000 for hauling services. Staff will provide regular updates on services at future Council meetings.
Explain Recommendation and How it Supports the Mission
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: It has been necessary to haul wastewater out of the plant in order to prevent a large spill that gets out of control and results in significant fines from the State Water Control Board and potential liability from adjacent property owners.
Explain how the Recommendation Directly Implements the Vision 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 _____ NA
Explain: See above for explanation.
Strong fiscal policies allow us to provide appropriate infrastructure for:
• Public Safety Yes No X N/A
• Housing Yes No X N/A
• Recreation Yes No X N/A
• Environment X Yes No N/A
• Education Yes No X N/A
Explain: In order to continue to support the City’s operations and prepare for the Council’s vision of expansion, it is imperative that we do what we need to in order to maintain the WWTF’s integrity .
ALTERNATIVES
If the Council decides not to allow the City Manager to haul water for offsite disposal and treatment there is a strong likelihood that the WWTF’s ponds will overflow. Trucking water out of the City’s facilities is helping to keep the WWTF stable and is preventing it from spilling over. The Council could direct staff to look at other options to bring forward for consideration, but the hauling option must be maintained in the interim which staff is currently working on as well.
BUDGET IMPACT
To date, the cost of hauling water to the Soledad Sewer Collection System has been $150,000 not including Soledad’s charges, which are still pending. This is being paid out of the Wastewater Enterprise Fund. Costs for hauling wastewater can vary depending on how much we need to truck at a given time. It ranges from $5,000 to $35,000 a day.
CONCLUSION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 2025-87 and allow the City Manager to work with the Finance Director, Public Works staff and the City’s Consultant team to make informed decisions as to when to haul wastewater out of the City’s WWTF to Soledad’s Sanitary Sewer Collection System in order to maintain the WWTF’s operations.
Although it is difficult to estimate exactly how many loads will need to be transported to Soledad, staff is asking that the Council allow the City Manager and staff to continue to utilize Green Line, A&G Pumping and Mission Portables and Service. on an as-needed basis for a total cost not to exceed $300,000 for pumping wastewater out of the WWTF to maintain its operations.
Attachments:
1. Resolution No. 2025-87