Sutter Creek – The Amador Water Agency last week won a $367,000 federal stimulus grant that will design and build a new sewer leach field in the Gayla Manor subdivision in Pine Grove. AWA Interim General Manager Gene Mancebo said last week that $367,612 had been awarded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and it will pay for improvements to an “overtaxed community wastewater system.” The funds will pay for design and construction of a new leach field and “expand the Gayla Manor wastewater system’s capacity to meet a 100-year wet season occurrence and satisfy the requirements of the Regional Water Quality Control Board.” The Gayla Manor system has been out of compliance since 2003, “when state regulators tightened wastewater storage requirements.” In May, the AWA board authorized acquisition of a 3-acre parcel of land owned by the Gayla Manor Homeowners Association where the new leach field will be constructed. When the grant funds were approved, the sale of the property closed escrow at no costs. The land purchase agreement included improvements for the Gayla Manor Subdivision. AWA Financial Service Manager Michael Lee said the grant is through the California Department of Water Resources, Clean Water Program. He said the award “is another agency success in pursuing government grants to pay for important system improvements while keeping rates affordable.” Lee said in the last 5 years, AWA has secured more than “$9 million in government grants” for “water and wastewater projects in Amador County.” AWA crews should begin work on the leach field in November. In other AWA news, the board of directors will host a special meeting 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Lockwood Fire Department Number 2, at Hale and Shakeridge Roads. The board will discuss LaMel Heights Water, and plans to meet with the property owners of LaMel Heights to discuss potential upcoming rate increases. Also Wednesday, the AWA Engineering Committee meets at 1 p.m. in the agency’s Ridge Road office. The committee, Board President Terence Moore and Vice President Bill Condrashoff, will discuss annual prequalification of contractors for large capital construction projects. They will also discuss annual development of “on-call contracts” for “common and repetitive professional and construction services.” Those include surveying, geotechnical engineering, hydrogeology and paving. The committee will also discuss a “discrepancy between the deeded property line and the existing fence line,” involving the Amador Water System, and Oneto and New York Ranch Reservoir properties. For information, call (209) 223-3018. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.