Amador County – The Ione City Council heard an update of ongoing wastewater treatment plant issues in the city, including that the Regional Water Quality Control Board toured the site September 8th, and the city and the state will meet to discuss the issues in a couple of weeks.

City Manager Kim Kerr said design changes were required by the state on the city’s proposed new plant, which includes a proposed new storage pond, Pond Number 8. The state found its design could cause groundwater seepage.

One proposed change included capturing water in an underground French drain, to keep wastewater from percolating out though the ground. Kerr said the French drain would have a pump to recycle water through the system.

A request for proposals (RFP) and an amendment have gone out on the project, which seeks bids from one company to design, build, operate, and finance the project.

Last week, the city council learned two bidders pulled out, including Auburn Construction, and Teichert Construction. Kerr said one bidder is still there: PERC Water Corporation of Costa Mesa.

Councilman Jim Ulm criticized the bidding process at last week’s meeting, saying it seemed the city was “making it a design project for PERC.”

Councilman Lee Ard recommended Ulm go back and read the initial proposal. He said Teichert and Auburn propsals excluded some conditions the city specifically sought, so they did not entirely meet the requests entirely. PERC met all ot the requirements.

Proposals were due Tuesday, Sept. 28.

Kerr said the proposed new tertiary-level wastewater treatment plant is a solution to the cease and desist order that stems from a 2003 infraction. She said the error was the “daylighting”, or leakage, of wastewater stored in Pond Number 7. Since then, the city installed rip-rap, and the pond’s berm “now has vegetation growing on it.” An inspection showed no signs of seepage.

She said the city was told to do a water analysis, for its Report of Waste Discharge, and additional modeling. Kerr said: “We’re waiting for them to give approval to move forward with our design.”

Quality Control Board’s compliance and permitting officers toured the plant site Sept. 8, and the city and the board will meet in Sacramento for another discussion, October 12th. Kerr said one concern is that the cease and desist order is so old the regional board may have to update it.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.