Amador County – Ione City Council last week discussed changes it faces to lift a cease and desist order on its wastewater treatment plant.

City Attorney Kristen Castanos said the city received an OK from the Regional Water Quality Control Board in October 2009 for its solution to fill in 200 feet of storage Ponds 5 and 6, moving the ponds 200 feet from Sutter Creek.

Castanos said last October, filling in the ponds was OK’d as a solution to address possible seepage, but “now, the Regional Board has changed their minds.”

Dominic Atlan of Castle Oaks said it is “almost getting ridiculous” and “it costs us money.” A year ago, Castle Oaks Golf Course was OK’d to put linings it its storage ponds, but “now it’s not OK,” he said.

Atlan said “a duck can go in there and urinate and then it can be mistaken for effluent.” People laughed, but Atlan said: “I know it sounds funny, but it isn’t. It’s true.” He said the problem was “not our experts and staff,” but the Regional Board.

Councilman Jim Ulm said: “I think our people are doing their job,” and it was not a Regional Board problem.

Councilwoman Andrea Bonham said: “I think the thing that will save us in the future is tertiary,” and to spend $5,000 to save us $100,000 in a no-brainer.”

A National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit would require “$100,000 just for monitoring.”

Kerr said “staff does not recommend an NPDES permit unless it is the last resort for the city.” She said the Regional Board is “definitely happy we’re going to tertiary,” which will allow the city to treat effluent to a level that might be used commercially, including supplying water to Unimin, which now buys raw water from the Amador Water Agency. She said the question is whether the city can give them the same or better quality of water. She said they could not produce enough water to meet Unimin’s needs for a year. Kerr said the city might also be able to serve the two prisons and CalFire.

The council voted 4-1 (with Ulm dissenting) to approve a $5,000 isotope study of water seeping from a wall on the bank of Sutter Creek. The study could prove conclusively whether or not it is seepage of effluent from the Ione wastewater treatment plant storage pond. A positive result could require the city to get an NPDES permit.

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