Amador County – Sutter Creek City Council on Monday tabled changes to an agreement with the Amador Water Agency on wastewater capacity expansion, pending review by staff. City Manager Rob Duke talked about the history of the agreement, which came about when increased solids and greases in the wastewater stream combined to cause a lack in capacity. He said was determined that the causes for the lack were equally due to new customers in AWA’s Martell Service Area 4 and also due to Sutter Creek. Upgrades in Sutter Creek’s aeration system led to a $1.5 million dollar project, which the city and the agency agreed to split, at a cost of $750,000 dollars each, and increase the wastewater capacity for each by 60,000 gallons per day. Duke said the expansion is not yet done and has not been approved, but the result will be “found capacity,” which Sutter Creek will be sharing with the AWA. A letter from AWA General Manager Jim Abercrombie, with the AWA board’s signed agreement, asked the city or consultant Bob Reed to tally the cost per “Equivalent Dwelling Unit” to upgrade the sewer system from secondary to tertiary level treatment. Duke said the “AWA heard rumors that if Gold Rush (Ranch & Golf Resort) was approved,” it will require upgrading of the city plant to tertiary level. Duke said if Gold Rush is approved, “it doesn’t change anything about what we need to do to go to tertiary” treatment level. In public comment, Planning Commissioner Mike Kirkley said “it seems like they are getting a hell of a deal for 60,000 gallons a day capacity, and they could turn around and sell it for $1.5 Million Dollars.” Kirkley said the AWA board also indicated that Sutter Creek “can only charge them what it costs because of an old agreement” between the two. Bart Weatherly asked what the AWA would have to pay for tertiary level treatment. Duke said the city did “not know yet, because we have not chosen the technology yet.” City Attorney Dennis Crabb said he had a couple of questions about the contract on some procedural items, and Mayor Gary Wooten tabled the item to have it brought back to the next meeting, after review by staff. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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