The cost estimate at that time was approximately 3 million dollars for the entire project. The project was given a high priority with a target of having the storage pond in operation by January 2007. Now, a number of issues have arisen since which have lengthened the design and environmental review process. The cost, as a result, has also increased significantly. First the engineers discovered that the reservoir size must be increased primarily due to soil permeability. In order to accelerate the permit process now for the increased size of the pond, mitigation measures will likely increase the project cost even more, likely now exceeding $4.5 million without construction, inspection and staff time expenses.

The expansion, however, would provide capacity for the construction of 100 homes in Unit 6 and 50 homes in Unit 3B and resolve the lack of storage and disposal capacity for current customers thereby allowing growth in the areas. In September of 2006 staff reported that the schedule for construction of the project with a start of the earth work on the reservoir in January 2007 and a completion date of the first reservoir expected to be in March 2007. However, Water Agency Engineer Gene Mancebo has said that the “latest blow” came to the project’s costs and timeline came when the California Department of Fish and Wildlife modified the schedule because of the lengthening of timeframes to obtain permits, now pushing the beginning construction back to spring of 2007, thus resulting in no additional wastewater storage for the upcoming winter. Staff in the meantime has continued working with EBMUD, as they have been for several years, looking for a regional wastewater plant in the Camanche area.

The least costly alternative that would best meet the needs of the area has been identified as a title 22 plant. This type of plant provides land disposal of the wastewater in the dryer summer months and discharges to surface runoff water in the wetter winter months. However, because runoff of surface water could enter Lake Camanche and the Mokelumne River because of the project’s proximity to the bodies of water a new major issue has arisen. Recently, through the Federal Clean Water Act, both Camanche Lake and the Mokelumne River were placed on a list for high levels of copper and zinc. This presents a problem as any new discharge permit would prohibit copper discharge near the river and the lake by the new sewer system. Water Agency Staff believes it would be very difficult and very unlikely to obtain a permit to discharge straight into Lake Camanche. And according to agency staff there are not many attractive alternatives to surface discharges into Lake Camanche. Another alternative would be discharging to land but this requires a large amount of land and storage and there are not any available parcels large enough for this purpose.

Another alternative is looking at the possibility of surface discharge to the Jackson Creek Watershed, which does not appear on any Federal lists for high copper and zinc list. These two alternatives, at this time, appear to be viable for the agency. Engineer Mancebo said that if it is determined that a discharge to the Jackson Creek Watershed is the best long term solution. Staff has met with Jackson Valley Irrigation District’s General Manger to discuss the possibility and will also be visiting one of potential ranches to consider its potential for use of reclaimed water. Over the next few months staff plans to develop and prioritize option for discharging reclaimed water to the Jackson Creek Watershed which includes the potential reuse with JVID customers. Ongoing meetings between the JVID and the AWA will continue.

At Thursday’s Water Agency meeting the Board decided to halt the activities on the interim solution which includes the secondary treatment, storage and land discharge on the Curran Property, including the acquisition of the Curran property, rezoning the 80 acres which were recently the subject of a hearing at the Board of Supervisors meeting. The board also opted to have staff concentrate their efforts toward a long term solution that focuses on a tertiary treatment and potential reuse in the JVID service area with possible winter discharge to Jackson Creek.