In Sutter Creek this week, the city’s ad hoc sewer committee began developing an amendment enabling the Amador Water Agency to participate in the costs and benefits of the current sewer plant project. City Council directed the ad hoc committee to work with staff and Amador Water Agency representatives to draft a term sheet that will be the basis for the contract amendment. City Manager Rob Duke lead the discussion, beginning with a brief synopsis of the city’s sewer problems, which began in late 2006 with a sharp, unaccounted-for decline in the processing capability of the sewer plant. It was determined that the diminishing capacity was due to the increasing presence of solids disposed of through the sewer system. At first, it was believed that vendors in the Mill Plaza development in Martell were the culprit, but, according to Duke, the problem stems from improper disposal of solids from restaurants located in Sutter Creek as well as in Martell. In total, the sewer plant has lost about 1/3 of its capacity due to the influx of solids. It is the city’s belief that everybody should pay their fair share to fix the plant. However, both the AWA and the city are concerned about increasing rates for customers. Sutter Creek sewer customers will soon experience a rate hike from 48 dollars a month to 75 dollars a month, and the city’s sewer problems could add even more to that amount. Until a deal is reached with the AWA, however, the city will foot the bill for the repairs, in order to avoid citations from the California Water Quality Control Board.