The
City of Jackson
finally got some good news about the city’s wastewater treatment plant – the
regional water quality control board adopted a permit that will allow
the city to continue to operate its current wastewater treatment plant without
multi-million dollar upgrades that had been looming over the heads of city
decision-makers. The board action clarified that the city would not be required
to bring the plant to the highest “Title 22” standards, avoiding extensive new
wastewater storage and back-up plant redundancies. According to Jackson City
Manager Mike Daly, estimates
for the upgrades that are required are “closer to 1 million dollars.”
Jackson’s wastewater plant releases treated
wastewater into Jackson Creek, which ultimately flows into Lake Amador
– a drinking water source for Jackson
Valley. The new permit requires the city to
keep its wastewater disposal at no more than 5% of the total volume of Lake Amador.
The state could have required the city to meet that 5% limit at the point where
the treatment plant drops wastewater into the creek – a much more difficult
target to meet. Next step for the city is to conduct a study into the effects
on the creek’s aquatic life if city wastewater flows are reduced. While the
state water board wants less wastewater in the creek, fish and game officials
may want to maintain the wastewater flows, which currently support the creek
habitat. Downstream water users may also have water rights that could affect
proposed changes in the city’s discharge. The city has 2 years to complete this
study.
