1 CITY OF RIALTO
REGULAR MEETING OF THE WATER SUBCOMMITTEE
May 29, 2025 - 1:00 P.M.
MINUTES
The Regular meeting of the Water Subcommittee of the City of Rialto was held in the Civic Center Council Chambers located at 150 S. Palm Avenue, Rialto, California 92376, on Thursday, March 29, 2025.
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CALL TO ORDER Call to order at 1:00 P.M.
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ROLL CALL Senior Administrative Analyst Nicole Hemmans took the roll call.
Subcommittee Members / City Staff:
Mayor Joe Baca
Mayor Pro Tem Ed Scott
Tanya Williams, City Manager
Robert Khuu, Deputy City Attorney
John Rossi, Interim Utilities Director
Dr. Toyasha Sebbag, Assistant to the City Manager
Nicole Hemmans, Senior Administrative Analyst
Additional Attendees:
Stephen Dopudja, Dopudja & Wells Consulting, Inc.
Peter Luchetti, RWS/Table Rock
Soheil Sadighi, RWS/Veolia
Marlon Brosco, RWS/Veolia
David Terry, RWS/Veolia
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PUBLIC COMMENTS Public comment received on May 29, 2025:
♦ None.
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APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Mayor Baca asked if there were any comments pertaining to the minutes.
♦ None.
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NEW BUSINESS ITEMS
WS-25-0371 – Request for Feedback
Regarding Setting a Public Hearing for the
2025 Public Health Goals Report and
Provide Comments on the 2024
Consumer Confidence Report on
Drinking Water.
(ACTION)
Staff requested that the Water Subcommittee provide feedback regarding setting a Public Hearing for the 2025 Public Health Goals Report and provide comments on the 2024 Consumer Confidence Report on drinking water. (ACTION)
Questions & Comments
♦ Due to a change in the schedule, the Public Hearing date will be determined at a later time.
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WS-25-0375 – Request for Feedback
on Water Quality Aspects of the City of
Rialto’s Water System.
(ACTION)
Staff requested for Feedback on the water quality aspects of the City of Rialto’s water system. (ACTION)
Questions & Comments
♦ Mayor Pro Tem Scott inquired about the travel time of groundwater from the City of Rialto to the City of Colton, referencing concerns raised by Colton residents near the Rialto border who have reported discolored (brown) water on social media.
o John Rossi indicated that the brown water may be caused by sediment being stirred up in the pipelines due to high-velocity water flow. This can occur when there is increased water demand or changes in system pressure, causing naturally occurring minerals a nd sediments to become temporarily suspended in the water.
♦ Mayor Pro Tem Scott inquired about when the last water flush occurred in his neighborhood.
o Mr. Terry confirmed that it was conducted approximately three weeks ago.
o Mr. Rossi suggested putting a pressure recorder in the area and conducting weekly meter readings to monitor water
volume and assess the level of discoloration. Mr. Rossi advised that the staff would develop a plan of action.
o Mr. Luchetti requested that the water operators provide a report to management whenever unusual situations occur in the system.
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WS-25-0370 – Request for Feedback
Regarding Setting a Public Hearing to
Place Sewer Service Charges on the
County Property Tax Roll for Delinquent
Accounts.
(ACTION)
Staff requested Feedback on setting a Public Hearing to place sewer s ervice charges on the County Property Tax Roll for delinquent accounts. (ACTION)
Questions & Comments
♦ Mayor Baba inquired about the scheduled date for the Public Hearing.
o Mrs. Williams responded that the hearing is scheduled for July and noted that all Tax Roll Hearings are traditionally held during the month of July.
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WS-25-0372 – Utilities Director
Update.
Utilities Director Update provided by Mr. Rossi:
1. Extraterritorial Agreement for a single-family residence located in Bloomington, CA.
2. Veolia’s Monthly Operations Reports (MOR):
a. April 2025 (reporting period February 2025)
b. May 2025 (reporting period March 2025)
3. Update on the Biosolids Project
Questions & Comments on the Biosolids Project:
♦ Mayor Baca inquired whether a cost analysis had been
completed for the project.
o Mr. Luchetti confirmed that a cost analysis was
conducted.
♦ Mayor Baca inquired about the funding breakdown for the project, specifically asking how much would be covered by grant funding versus non-grant funding.
o Mr. Rossi advised that there is no grant funding available for this project and noted that funding is rarely available for equipment replacement projects.
♦ Mayor Baba asked whether staff has explored funding availability through the County or State.
o Mrs. Williams advised that while Rialto Utility Authority staff are good at securing grant funds for specific
4 projects, it is generally challenging to obtain funding for equipment replacement projects.
♦ Mr. Luchetti advised that utilizing remaining funds from previously approved but unspent projects could help reduce the overall cost of the biosolids project.
o Mayor Baca commented that Mr. Luchetti raised a valid point and requested staff to explore the possibility of transfers in relation to the budget.
o Mr. Rossi advised that a rate consultant has been hired to perform this analysis.
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UPCOMING MEETINGS/OTHER
DISCUSSION ITEMS
♦ The next Water Subcommittee meeting was confirmed for Monday, June 23, 2025.
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ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 1:52 PM.