Amador County – Staff this week will update the Ione City Council on changes recommended to plans for the city’s proposed wastewater plant, including urging the city to move closer to the designing stage. California Regional Water Quality Control Board sent letters in June and August regarding a cease and desist order and related “Report of Waste Discharge” the state found to be incomplete. Concerns included the need for “an engineering or geotechnical analysis, and a groundwater model demonstrating that percolation from the proposed ponds will not impact surface water quality.” The city proposes closing storage ponds 1-3, partially filling ponds 5 and 6, and building a new Pond 8. The letter in June said the “proposed Pond 8 will potentially cause flooding” because its design “would raise groundwater levels further at the city wastewater treatment plant site and in surrounding areas,” potentially raising the groundwater level by as much as two feet. The letter said “Pond 8 would increase risks of spillage or surfacing on-site due to percolation of treated effluent.” It said the site was not ideal for the pond as designed. The letter said seepage has been shown to enter Sutter Creek from ponds 5 and 6. Senior Water Resource Control Engineer Ann Olson in an August letter said as of August 16th, the “maximum liability for the failure to submit a (Report of Waste Discharge)” by the city – at $5,000 per day since the 2003 infraction – was $4.4 million. Olson said staff will not recommend issuance of a civil liability complaint if the agency receives a Report of Waste Discharge by October 1st, including all information requested in June. City Manager Kim Kerr in a report for the city council’s meeting today (September 21st) said the city council approved a contract with Condor Earth Technologies for $17,500 to make the “groundwater modeling study to address issues raised by the Regional Board regarding the proposed Pond 8 site and rainfall accumulation.” Kerr said the “Regional Board visited the wastewater treatment plant on September 8th and focused on the possible seepage along Sutter Creek.” Kerr said wastewater engineer Bob Godwin, city engineer John Wanger and regional board staff “inspected the Sutter Creek bank for seepage and none was observed.” They also visited the Pond 8 proposed site. A “Request for Proposals” continues with the city trying to find a company to design, build, finance and operate the proposed new tertiary-level wastewater treatment plant, as a solution to the cease and desist order. Kerr noted that the RFP’s are due September 28th. She also noted that two companies had withdrawn interest in submitting proposals. They are Auburn Construction and Tiechert Construction of Sacramento. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tuesday, 21 September 2010 07:03
State says Ione must study pond's hydrology affects
Amador County – Staff this week will update the Ione City Council on changes recommended to plans for the city’s proposed wastewater plant, including urging the city to move closer to the designing stage. California Regional Water Quality Control Board sent letters in June and August regarding a cease and desist order and related “Report of Waste Discharge” the state found to be incomplete. Concerns included the need for “an engineering or geotechnical analysis, and a groundwater model demonstrating that percolation from the proposed ponds will not impact surface water quality.” The city proposes closing storage ponds 1-3, partially filling ponds 5 and 6, and building a new Pond 8. The letter in June said the “proposed Pond 8 will potentially cause flooding” because its design “would raise groundwater levels further at the city wastewater treatment plant site and in surrounding areas,” potentially raising the groundwater level by as much as two feet. The letter said “Pond 8 would increase risks of spillage or surfacing on-site due to percolation of treated effluent.” It said the site was not ideal for the pond as designed. The letter said seepage has been shown to enter Sutter Creek from ponds 5 and 6. Senior Water Resource Control Engineer Ann Olson in an August letter said as of August 16th, the “maximum liability for the failure to submit a (Report of Waste Discharge)” by the city – at $5,000 per day since the 2003 infraction – was $4.4 million. Olson said staff will not recommend issuance of a civil liability complaint if the agency receives a Report of Waste Discharge by October 1st, including all information requested in June. City Manager Kim Kerr in a report for the city council’s meeting today (September 21st) said the city council approved a contract with Condor Earth Technologies for $17,500 to make the “groundwater modeling study to address issues raised by the Regional Board regarding the proposed Pond 8 site and rainfall accumulation.” Kerr said the “Regional Board visited the wastewater treatment plant on September 8th and focused on the possible seepage along Sutter Creek.” Kerr said wastewater engineer Bob Godwin, city engineer John Wanger and regional board staff “inspected the Sutter Creek bank for seepage and none was observed.” They also visited the Pond 8 proposed site. A “Request for Proposals” continues with the city trying to find a company to design, build, finance and operate the proposed new tertiary-level wastewater treatment plant, as a solution to the cease and desist order. Kerr noted that the RFP’s are due September 28th. She also noted that two companies had withdrawn interest in submitting proposals. They are Auburn Construction and Tiechert Construction of Sacramento. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Latest from
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