Dear City Council and Staff,
The EFOC has identified sewer capacity as a primary issue, along with leaky clay pipes, for the Sewer System.
The 2020 Sewer Management Plan also identifies the same issue. See extended quote from the document below.
In the 2020 Sewer Management Plan, it states that the City raised Sewer Rates to complete the outlined capital improvements. Were these projects completed and if so, when?
Can our current system handle the inflow from new development and the heavy rains expected from El Nino this winter?
As the managers of critical infrastructure, the Council and City Staff are responsible for tracking progress. I assume they have the answer to this question.
Thank you,
Kate Haug
Pages 48-50 of the 2020 Sewer Management Plan located within this document:
https://www.cityofsebastopol.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/ResolutionNumber-6311-2020-Sebastopol-SSMP.pdf VIII-1: System Evaluation – Collection System Master Plan The City completed a Sanitary Sewer Utility Master Plan in December 2005 (Master Plan). The master planning effort included selection of peaking factors for wet weather, flow monitoring, hydraulic modeling, smoke testing, manhole inspection, and CCTV inspection. The Master Plan utilized the 2003 Sebastopol updated General Plan and the wastewater levels of service standards from the General Plan. The Master Plan included hydraulic modeling of the collection system based upon the distribution of infiltration and inflow over the entire service area. This effort was used to locate areas where lines were deficient or undersized for both the then current and future build-out state of the collection system.
The Master Plan identified twelve (12) deteriorated sewer lines that needed additional capacity or replacement in order to handle the flows associated with build-out. In addition, the plan identified several required improvements in the Gravenstein Highway system that were needed for ultimate build-out of the system. The City updated the capacity information subsequent to the 2015 CCTV and condition assessment program.
This work will also inform the City if an update to the current Master Plan is warranted or desirable.
Subsequent to the completion of the Master Plan, City staff determined that the pumping capacity of the Morris Street Pump Station had been discovered to have errors
in the original design and construction. The City has since developed a separate report titled “Future Wastewater Pumping Capacity for the Morris Street Pimping Station and Associated 14-inch Laguna Force Main. The report prepared by Green Valley Consulting Engineers determined that major upgrades to both the Morris Street Pump Station capacity and the discharge force main were required to accommodate peak wet weather flows at build out. The recommended improvements have now been completed to these two infrastructure elements and have significantly reduced the available funds for future system improvements and replacements.
A new capital improvement program five (5) year plan will be developed from the condition assessment work identified above. The City has also increased sewer service charges to accommodate future capital work resulting from the pipeline assessment efforts.
VIII-4: City Enhancement Measures – Capital Improvement Program The City prepares and the City Council adopts an annual capital improvement plan (CIP) that includes projects to address known wastewater collection system capacity issues.
Engineering Staff, working with the Public Works Department, prioritize and select the projects to be included on the annual list. The City’s Capital Improvement Program Sanitary Sewer System Detailed Budget for 2019/20 through 2023/24 is included in Appendix IV-C.
VIII-5: Schedule
The current schedule for the City’s capacity enhancement projects are included in the City’s Capital Improvement Program detailed budget in Appendix IV-C. However, this list will be revised, as necessary, based upon future condition assessments and maintenance results from the collection system operations and the recent River Watch Settlement Agreement.”