CITY OF SAN MATEO
CITY OF SAN MATEO
Agenda Report
City Hall
330 W. 20th Avenue
San Mateo CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org
Agenda Number: 8 Section Name: {{section.name}} Account Number: 72-4675 File ID: {{item.tracking_number}} TO: City Council
FROM: Alex Khojikian, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Public Works Department
MEETING DATE: April 21, 2025
SUBJECT:
Sewer System Management Plan - Update and Recertification RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt a Resolution to recertify the 2025 update of the Sewer System Management Plan.
BACKGROUND:
On December 6, 2022, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) adopted the General Waste Discharge Requirements for Sanitary Sewer System, Water Quality No. 2022-0103-DWQ (Sanitary Sewer System General Order), to provide a consistent, statewide regulatory approach to address sanitary sewer spills. The Sanitary Sewer System General Order requires public agencies that own or operate sanitary sewer systems to develop and implement a sewer system management plan (SSMP) and report all sanitary sewer spills to the State Water Board’s online California Integrated Water Quality System (CIWQS) Sanitary Sewer System Database.
The Statewide Waste Discharge Requirement (WDR) requires that the City develop and adopt an SSMP with the purpose of providing proper and efficient management, operation, and maintenance of the City’s sanitary sewer system. The Statewide WDR also defines the requirements for Monitoring and Reporting Programs (MRP) for sanitary sewer spills.
Public Works has completed a three-year audit for the period ending May 2, 2024, as part of this compliance. The audit included the submission of an annual report per Statewide WDR Section 5.1, 5.13.2, and Section 3.9, which was submitted April 1, 2025.
The SWRCB has also adopted a new Statewide WDR that supersedes previous orders 2006-0003-DWQ and 2013-0058- EXEC. As part of this regulatory update, agencies must prepare and certify an updated SSMP every six years, with the next update due by May 2, 2025. Staff completed substantial changes to the City’s existing SSMP to align with the latest regulatory standards. The revisions include, but are not limited to, updates to the SSMP goals, update/audit schedules, and asset updates; clear designation of data submitters; contact information of responsible staff; organizational chart updates; communication protocols for spill reporting; legal authority clarifications; data categorization of sewer blockage types; Spill Emergency Response Plan updates; updates to the sewer blockage evaluation program; updates for sewer system evaluation and capacity assessment approaches for capital improvement program development; updates to meet new Adaptive Management requirements to address SSMP implementation effectiveness and improvements; inclusion of audit requirements; and clarification of public communication procedures.
To ensure continued compliance with Statewide General Order 2022-0103-DWQ, staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution certifying the 2025 Sanitary Sewer System Management Plan. The City Council approved a resolution in January 2021 that recertified the previous updated SSMP, and staff completed the required new 2025 update to the document, which is now available for review.
CITY OF SAN MATEO
BUDGET IMPACT:
There are no costs associated with Council adoption of the proposed resolution for recertification of the SSMP.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
This City Council action certifying the City’s sewer system management plans, as required by the State Water Resources Control Board, is not a project subject to CEQA because it is an administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. (CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5).)
NOTICE PROVIDED
All meeting noticing requirements were met.
ATTACHMENTS
Att 1 - Proposed Resolution
Att 2 - Draft 2025 Sewer System Management Plan
STAFF CONTACT
Tony Baltodano, Field Maintenance Manager
[email protected]
650-522-7359