Amador County – Ione City Manager Kim Kerr told the Amador Regional Planning Committee last week that Ione is waiting for a state decision on its wastewater master plan’s Final Environmental Impact Report. The problem is, the person in charge of its review for compliance was promoted and the position unfilled. The Regional Water Quality Control Board said it could be as long as 120 days before the FEIR is reviewed. Kerr said Ione has 2 water treatment plants. One is a tertiary level treatment plant that treats secondary-level treated wastewater piped in from Sutter Creek, in the Amador Regional Sanitation Authority system. The other plant in Ione is a secondary-level treatment facility, which handles Ione’s city wastewater, which is then stored in the city’s 7 storage reservoirs. The tertiary plant in Ione cannot treat the effluent from the secondary plant. Kerr said Ione wants ARSA’s wastewater. But the supply could change, as Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort has a plan to upgrade Sutter Creek treatment plant from secondary to tertiary. Tertiary water is cleaned to a quality that it can be used for irrigation, in this case for Gold Rush Golf Course. Sutter Creek Assistant City Manager Sean Rabe said “there is a tendency at the state level” that instead of expanding the size of a secondary plant, they require its expansion to a tertiary level. Kerr said through ARSA, Amador Water Agency takes about 1/3rd of Ione’s capacity. Sutter Creek Councilman Tim Murphy asked what the impact would be when ARSA activated a tertiary plant. Kerr said Ione “will have to replace that water.” The city already sends 700 acre feet of water to Castle Oaks Golf Course. The city would have to discuss the issue with Castle Oaks. Kerr said storage options might include Preston’s reservoir, and 16 acres on Arroyo Seco Ranch. She said “for farmers and ranchers that want (their) tertiary water, it’s just a matter of finding storage in the winter time.” Kerr said “unfortunately, to do your EIR, you have to plan for” removing ARSA. That includes finding storage and planning for increases in the flow elsewhere. She said the city can treat a maximum of 1.2 million gallons a day at its tertiary plant, “but there are storage problems” at the Henderson storage reservoir on a canal in the ARSA system. The committee next meets August 5th, and will hear a report on ARSA from Sutter Creek City Manager Rob Duke. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Monday, 06 July 2009 00:56
Ione Wastewater Plan
Amador County – Ione City Manager Kim Kerr told the Amador Regional Planning Committee last week that Ione is waiting for a state decision on its wastewater master plan’s Final Environmental Impact Report. The problem is, the person in charge of its review for compliance was promoted and the position unfilled. The Regional Water Quality Control Board said it could be as long as 120 days before the FEIR is reviewed. Kerr said Ione has 2 water treatment plants. One is a tertiary level treatment plant that treats secondary-level treated wastewater piped in from Sutter Creek, in the Amador Regional Sanitation Authority system. The other plant in Ione is a secondary-level treatment facility, which handles Ione’s city wastewater, which is then stored in the city’s 7 storage reservoirs. The tertiary plant in Ione cannot treat the effluent from the secondary plant. Kerr said Ione wants ARSA’s wastewater. But the supply could change, as Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort has a plan to upgrade Sutter Creek treatment plant from secondary to tertiary. Tertiary water is cleaned to a quality that it can be used for irrigation, in this case for Gold Rush Golf Course. Sutter Creek Assistant City Manager Sean Rabe said “there is a tendency at the state level” that instead of expanding the size of a secondary plant, they require its expansion to a tertiary level. Kerr said through ARSA, Amador Water Agency takes about 1/3rd of Ione’s capacity. Sutter Creek Councilman Tim Murphy asked what the impact would be when ARSA activated a tertiary plant. Kerr said Ione “will have to replace that water.” The city already sends 700 acre feet of water to Castle Oaks Golf Course. The city would have to discuss the issue with Castle Oaks. Kerr said storage options might include Preston’s reservoir, and 16 acres on Arroyo Seco Ranch. She said “for farmers and ranchers that want (their) tertiary water, it’s just a matter of finding storage in the winter time.” Kerr said “unfortunately, to do your EIR, you have to plan for” removing ARSA. That includes finding storage and planning for increases in the flow elsewhere. She said the city can treat a maximum of 1.2 million gallons a day at its tertiary plant, “but there are storage problems” at the Henderson storage reservoir on a canal in the ARSA system. The committee next meets August 5th, and will hear a report on ARSA from Sutter Creek City Manager Rob Duke. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
