A NEW BEGINNING: Rebuilding Our Sanitary System March 2009 - - PDF document

A NEW BEGINNING:

Rebuilding Our Sanitary System

March 2009

Introducing Ourselves

• Independent, local Special District
• Formed in 1955
• Providing wastewater service:

Collect, treat and recycle Garbage franchise regulation (County only)

Exactly What Is a Sanitary System?

• More to it than you might think:

Collection System

• Main sewer pipelines (101 miles)
• Private lateral sewer pipelines

Pump Stations (28)

• Pump station force mains (6.7 miles)

Treatment Plant

• Wastewater treatment facilities
• Reclaimed water treatment facilities

Reclamation Area

Storm Drains and Sanitary Sewers are NOT the Same

• Storm Drains

collect runoff and stormwater dumping it untreated into the Bay

• Public Sewers

collect sewage and deliver it to a treatment plant for cleaning before discharge to the Bay

• r recycling
• Private Laterals

connect a home

• r business to the

sanitary sewers

Award Winning Collection System

Private sewer lateral Sewer Main Pump Station

Treatment Plant And More…

• Recycled Water
• Solar Power
• Wildlife ponds
• Treated water discharge

Where We Stand Today

• Our sanitary system has been working for us

for many decades

• We have worked hard to take care of it

Continuous, rigorous maintenance of aging system

• Result in 2008: awarded collection system of

the year in three counties

Low spill rate Overflows 500% below the average for Marin County

We’re Hanging On…But Barely

• With continuous effort, we have wrung every
• unce of value from the system
• Many parts are aging and at the end of their

useful service lives

• Tough new regulations have raised the bar

Zero spills, no overflows, higher treatment standards, limits on discharge, and more Heavy penalties, fines for failure to comply

Where We Stand Today (cont’d)

• Invested about $16 million in last 5 years
• Still, over the years we have had to delay

some important maintenance, repair and replacement

• But we deferred a rate increase until we could

complete all of our facilities plans

Giving the System a Physical

• District conducted a detailed engineering

assessment of every part of the system

• Analyzed many alternative solutions
• Sought the least costly approach
• Produced a plan that will provide a major
• verhaul of the system

Will correct deficiencies, meet standards, efficiently and effectively Seek to remain a low-cost service provider

Industrial, corrosive environment Facilities

• ver 50

years old

WHAT WE NEED TO DO

Problems and Solutions Problem: Collection System

• Decrease Inflow and Infiltration

Inflow: rainwater enters directly into pipes via illegal connection to roof drains, area drains, sump pumps Infiltration: groundwater enters the aging underground sewer pipes via cracks, disconnected pipes and broken pipes

• Result: Massive amounts of outside water

enters system, causing backups, spills, broken pipes, overloading of treatment plant…and can lead to fines

Decrease Inflow and Infiltration

• Sewer Relief

Valve

Proposed Solution

Inspect and Fix Sewer Laterals

Sewer laterals belong to the property owner

• Upper lateral: from building to property line
• Lower lateral: from property line to sewer main

There are as many miles of sewer laterals as there are of sewer mains

• Laterals are shallow. Greater than 50% of the problem

District lateral inspection / loan replacement program will start to replace privately owned defective laterals

Proposed Solution (cont’d)

Repair/Replace Problem Mainlines

Pinpoint troubled pipeline areas via TV inspection, smoke tests Annually replace approximately 3,700 feet or 0.7% of

• ur sewer main lines and lower laterals

Enlarge selected main lines

Provide capacity for excess water during storms

Problem: Pump Stations

• Recently, a sanitary agency was held

responsible for large sewer spill into Bay

Caused by pump station equipment failure Resulted in major costs to clean up mess, repair pump station, pay fines, etc

• Our district has 28 pump stations

Convey sewage to treatment plant Some have advanced remote alarms, controls and generators, others do not

• Also, District uses pressurized pipelines

Some made of material that can corrode, fail or break

Proposed Solution

Equip all pump stations with automatic alarms, remote controls

Provide immediate information on problems and ability to make remote fixes, which reduces operating costs

Repair aging portions of pressurized pipelines

Change pipeline material, eliminate corrosion problem

Problem: Treatment Plant

• Current treatment process blends primary and

secondary treated flows during high flows Now, blending is discouraged by state regulators Upgrade to full secondary will be required

• Aging plant facilities require significant

improvements to meet regulatory standards and avoid catastrophic failure Rehabilitation of existing infrastructure, capacity increases, and installation of new operating equipment Plant capacity struggles to treat wet weather flows effectively

Proposed Solution

Gradually upgrade treatment plant facilities to full secondary level

Meet current and future regulatory standards

Triple secondary capacity to meet increased flows in wet weather Test new technologies to increase efficiency and lower costs

Problem: Recycled Water

• Effluent discharge to local creek not allowed

in summer months (June – October)

Effluent is sent to recycled water facility (tertiary treatment) and used by Marin Municipal Water District for customers within the District Also sent to wetlands and wildlife ponds and irrigation pastures

Proposed Solution

Develop cooperative, cost sharing agreements with North Marin Water District and Marin Municipal Water District

Serve Hamilton area Increase use of recycled water in region by expanding the District recycled water plant

Problem: Reclamation Area

• Reclamation Area levees protect wetlands,

solar panels, wildlife ponds from creek

• verflows and high tide Bay waters

Levees require more maintenance and improvements

• Miller Creek maintenance

Undertake maintenance of Miller Creek on District Property

Proposed Solution

Increase levee maintenance

Increased protection from Bay high tides Protect solar panels Preserve environmental benefits of Reclamation Area

Miller Creek maintenance

Avoid catastrophic failure of levees

HOW IT ALL ADDS UP:

Revenue Needs and Rate Changes

Information About Costs

• Costs of proposed project are summarized
• ver a five year period: 2009-2010 through

2013-2014

• Costs include standard industry

and CPI indexes

• Changes to the sewer service rate are

shown for a single residential dwelling unit

• Non- residential rate changes are similar,

but calculated differently

Proposed Project Costs

• Sewer collection system improvements

Sewer mains and lower laterals: $930,000/yr Increased sewer main capacity: $1,493,735/yr Lateral inspection, repair loans: $171,800/yr

• Pump station, force mains improvements

Pump stations: $220,500/yr Pressurized pipelines: $178,000/yr

• Treatment plant upgrade: $9,772,905

$775,000/yr

Proposed Project Costs (cont’d)

• Cooperative water recycling program

Cost sharing with other agencies: $3,433,000

• Reclamation area improvements

Levee and Miller Creek maintenance: $151,162

• General upgrades, repairs: $738,000

Proposed New Rates

• Responsible rate level for single residential

dwelling unit*, total cost spread over 5 yrs

Current 2008-2009: $303/yr = $0.83/day Proposed 2009-2010: $493/yr = $1.39/day Proposed 2010-2011: $563/yr = $1.54/day Proposed 2011-2012: $613/yr = $1.68/day Proposed 2012-2013: $662/yr = $1.81/day Proposed 2013-2014: $680/yr = $1.86/day

*Proportional costs for non-residential

Is Project Affordable?

• Raises daily costs about $1 over five years
• Rates remain low compared to neighbor

agencies

• Avoids legal and environmental problems

Regulatory fines, unacceptable local conditions, damage to environment, lawsuits

• Maintains appropriate level of community

sanitary service

A Balanced Plan

• Proposed plan does not solve every problem

Addresses only most critical items Based on detailed engineering assessment

• Costs are responsible, realistic

Takes into account today’s difficult economic climate

• Remains among lowest rates in the county

Rates Among Lowest

LAS GALLINAS VALLEY SD

Comparison of Monthly Sewer Service Charges

What’s Next

Next Steps Date Community presentations March and early April Bring feedback to Board March and early April Board review and finalize sewer service charge March and early April Send Proposition 218 legal notice to all property owners Later April, 2009 Hearing at least 45 days later June 4, 2009 If passed submit to County Mid August 2009 Appears on property tax September 2009

NOW, YOUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS

Non-Residential Charges

• Increases proportional to the rise in residential rates.
• Rates are calculated individually for each type of non-residential use.
• Based on indoor water usage and a strength factor. Average residential is

1,000 cubic feet per month COMMERCIAL CHARGES STRENGTH OF 1.0: Domestic-strength users, including: commercial,

• ffice buildings, retail, churches, halls, public agencies, laundromats,

service stations, medical offices, barber and beauty shops, car washes, convalescent hospitals, hospitals

• STRENGTH OF 2.0: Mixed domestic and medium strength
• STRENGTH OF 2.6: Medium Strength Users. Restaurants, cafes,

bakeries, mortuaries, hotels and restaurants, markets with disposal INDUSTRIAL AND HIGH STRENGTH: Custom formula