TO: HONORABLE MAYOR
AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Lori Mitchell
SUBJECT: San José-Santa Clara
Regional Wastewater Facility
Study Session
DATE: January 27, 2025
Approved Date:
1/27/25
PURPO
SE
Prov
ide the City Council with an overview of the San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility (RWF) Plant Master Plan, discuss the issues affecting the RWF since the adoption of the Plant Master Plan; provide details on the Capital Improvement Program’s effort to update the Plant Master Plan’s Technical Component, which will be brought to the City Council in mid-2025; and provide an update on various projects on or around the RWF land.
OUT
COME
The Ci
ty Council will have a comprehensive understanding of the basis of the Plant Master Plan, issues currently affecting the RWF, the update to the Plant Master Plan’s Technical Component, and projects being constructed on RWF land.
BACKG
ROUND
In O
ctober 2013, the Treatment Plant Advisory Committee recommended to adopt the Plant Master Plan. In November 2013, the San José City Council adopted the Plant Master Plan. In December 2013, the City of Santa Clara took similar actions. The Plant Master Plan provided a vision for treatment process improvements, capital upgrades, and land uses at the RWF through 2040. The Capital Improvement Program at the RWF is implementing this vision and has completed more than $1.13 billion in improvements since 2014.
The maj
or drivers identified in the Plant Master Plan included aging infrastructure, regulatory requirements at the time, flows and loads, preparing for sea level rise, and community values. While these continue to be major drivers for improvements at the RWF, there have been notable changes over the past 11 years, including major STUDY SESSION AGENDA: 1/31/2025
FILE: 25-072
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
January 31, 2025
Subject: San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility Study Session
changes in regulations, higher costs for projects than originally estimated in the Plant Master Plan, and developer-initiated projects adjacent to the RWF.
The Plant Master Plan had two components: a Technical Component providing a roadmap for rehabilitation and improvement of the RWF’s aging facilities and infrastructure that informed the current Capital Improvement Program, and a Land Use Component providing a proposed mix of land uses on the RWF buffer lands.
The goal of the Study Session is to inform City Council about the issues affecting the RWF since the adoption of the Plant Master Plan; provide details on the Capital Improvement Program’s effort to update the Plant Master Plan’s Technical Component, which will be brought to the City Council in mid-2025; and provide an update on various projects on or around RWF land.
ANALYSIS
The attached Study Session presentation covers the following topics in detail.
1. Overview of the RWF
• Plant Master Plan Background
• Capital Improvement Program Accomplishments
2. New Nutrient Limit Regulations
3. Plant Master Plan Technical Update
4. Update on Shoreline Levee Project
5. Update on RWF Land Use
6. City Council Questions and Discussion
COORDINATION
Preparation of this Study Session has been coordinated with the Office of Economic Development and City Attorney’s Office.
/s/
Lori Mitchell
Acting Director, Environmental Services
For questions, please contact Mariana Chavez-Vazquez, RWF General Manager, Environmental Services, at [email protected] or (408) 535- 8550.
Attachment - Regional Wastewater Facility Presentation