The Second Amended and Restated Regional
Wastewater Disposal Agreement (SARA) and
Administrative Agreement No. 1 (AA-1) with
the City of San Diego
December 2, 2025
Troy DePriest, Assistant Director of Public Works for Utilities • The City of Poway’s (Poway) wastewater collection system flows into the City of San Diego’s (San Diego) Metropolitan Wastewater System (Metro System).
• San Diego owns, operates, and maintains a regional wastewater collection system providing conveyance, treatment, and discharge. • Poway is one of 12 Participating Agencies (PA) in the Metro System. • The parties maintain interagency agreements for the transportation and disposal of wastewater.
How Does Poway Dispose of its Wastewater?
• The Metro Wastewater Joint Powers Authority (Metro JPA) is a coalition of municipalities and special districts that share in the use of the Metro System.
• The PAs represent approximately 35% of sewerage flows. San Diego represents approximately 65% of sewerage flows.
• 1998 – San Diego and the 12 PAs signed a 50-year Regional Wastewater Disposal Agreement.
• Established Metro Commission comprised of PA representatives to advise San Diego on matters affecting the Metro System, how the system is operated, how the money is used, and to ensure their usage rates are equitable. • 2000 – The PA’s formed the Metro JPA.
• A separate legal entity with the authority and responsibility to take actions and make decisions in the PA’s mutual interests.
• Current – SARA establishes Metro Commission and Metro JPA are functionally treated as one entity.
Who is the Metro JPA & Metro Commission?
• In 2021, the parties amended the 1998 Agreement via
approval and execution of the Amended and Restated Regional Wastewater Disposal Agreement (“ARA”). This is the current agreement which governs our regional cooperation on
wastewater treatment and recycled/repurified water planning. • Section 2.9 of the ARA required the parties to meet and negotiate more amendments to the ARA to address
unresolved issues, update billing methodologies and revise cost allocations. The updated version of the ARA is referred to as the SARA.
Why Metro JPA Started Revising the ARA
• Clarifies allocation of fines, penalties, and regulatory enforcement actions among the parties. • Transitions the Industrial Pretreatment Program to San Diego for liability purposes now that the system is converting to potable reuse.
• Creates a process for developing Administrative Agreements to address technical or operational matters without the time and expense needed to renegotiate the entire agreement. • Establishes four approval paths to update SARA in the future, allowing for more tailored and efficient decision-making.
SARA Improvements to the 2021 ARA
I. Establishes cost-sharing approaches for Phases 1 and 2 of the City’s Pure Water Program.
II. Introduces a new billing method to allocate Metro System costs more accurately based on how each agency uses the Metro System.
III. Establishes the Uniform Enforcement of the Pretreatment Program by the City of San Diego.
IV. Outlines how future regional water reuse projects may be included in capital cost calculations.
V. Provides a sample formula for calculating revenue from repurified water.
VI. Includes provisions for the treatment and billing of wastewater from military bases.
2021 ARA
“Parking Lot”
Items
New Provisions of the SARA
• Establishes the Unified Management of Industrial Waste Discharge Pretreatment and Enhanced Source Control Programs Between City of San Diego and Participating Agencies In the Metropolitan Sewerage System.
• San Diego will directly issue permits to Industrial Users (IUs), inspect IUs for compliance, collect permitting fees, fines, and penalties.
• Poway must ensure all IUs are regulated by the San Diego Industrial Pretreatment Program and its own industrial pretreatment programs.
• Ensures Food Service Establishments (FSEs) and dischargers of Fats, Oil, and Grease (FOG) are regulated and monitored by Poway, not San Diego.
• Poway must adopt an ordinance, conform to the pretreatment ordinance of San Diego, and enforce Poway Municipal Code relating to rules and regulations for sewer discharge from FSEs.
Administrative Agreement No. 1
Functional Allocated Billing (FAB)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90% Percent Share of Total by Agency
SBB 2024 SBB Post-2027
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90% Percent Share of Total by Agency
FAB 2024 FAB Post-2027
• Based on Poway FY24 actual
billed costs of $3,956,404, staff
estimate an additional cost to
Poway of approximately
$660,719 (+16.7%) following
adoption of the SARA
• NOTE: Beyond FY-2027, the chart
reflects an additional (0.2%) cost-
share increase (1.4%-1.6%) for
Poway. Increasing Poway sewer
fund costs roughly (+14.3%) due to
the diversion of sewage flows by
the East County Advanced Water
Purification Joint Powers Authority
(ECAWP JPA)
Poway (SBB)
1.2%
Poway (FAB)
1.4%
• It is recommended the City Council approve the Resolutions adopting the Second Amended and Restated Regional Wastewater Disposal Agreement and Administrative Agreement No. 1 between the City of Poway and the City of San Diego in a form substantially similar to the version of the Agreement attached thereto and authorize the City Manager to approve non-substantive changes and execute the agreement.
Staff Recommendation
• Metro JPA Executive Staff
• Dexter Wilson – Engineering
• Adriana Ochoa – Legal Counsel
Additional Representatives Available For Questions
Questions?
City of Poway Wastewater Collection System Staff
Operating the CCTV Van, 2025