The agreement would include the forming of a Joint Powers Authority, or JPA, to facilitate the finances and terms of the agreement. It would also completely replace any old agreements between the agencies and would dramatically change the way the Amador Regional Sanitation Authority, ARSA, handles its waste water. Through this agreement ARSA would reduce their waste water flows to allow for some relief for Mule Creek State prison’s waste water crisis.  In turn ARSA agrees to accept MCSP flows which would allow Ione more room in their treatment plant. ARSA would then totally eliminate all flows to Ione’s secondary sewer plant in the next four years. ARSA also agrees to eliminate all flows to the lower ARSA system within 5 years of notification from Mule Creek and Ione that those flows must stop.

According to Ione City Manager George Lambert at this week’s meeting the three agencies were not able to finalize their agreement due to differing calculations for water balance. A water balance is defined as “a quantitative statement of the amounts of water circulating through various paths of the hydrologic cycle.”... of treated wastewater, and withdrawals of surface water and groundwater. This balance is required by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board and the City of Ione is required to present the calculation to the state by April 15th. Lambert states that the City and ARSA must reconcile their calculations, which are currently different.  The water balance, says Lambert is a critical piece, not only for the state’s requirements of the City of Ione, but also for the terms of the pending agreement between ARSA, the City and Mule Creek.

Lambert states this water balance number drives the entire agreement as the numbers must be acceptable to the state. According to Lambert the thrust of the tri agency agreement is to identify any surpluses in the ARSA system and then apply those to Mule Creek and the City of Ione- both of which are desperate for more waste water disposal space. Mule Creek’s announcement of underestimation on their waste water flow amounts only compounds the problem. Lambert states that all parties are working to resolve the issue in a fair and equitable way that will benefit all parties by lessening ARSA’s impacts on the Ione system, therefore freeing up more wastewater connections for new development.

In turn, space in the ARSA system will also allow for more waste water processing for Mule Creek State Prison and the state will then, under the terms of the agreement, sign a new lease for ARSA to continue to use its reservoirs and pipelines currently owned by the state. It is a circular, yet mutually beneficial agreement, which is now on hold once again until those water balance numbers are reconciled. Lambert states the group is on a tight time line and has instructed their respective engineers to work quickly. The calculations must be ready for a meeting on April 11th so that the city can meet their April 15th deadline.