To: Board of Directors, Sonoma County Water Agency, Russian River County Sanitation District
Department or Agency Name(s): Russian River County Sanitation District
Staff Name and Phone Number: Brad Sherwood 707-547-1900, Alex Bodulow 707-806-8270
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Fifth
Title:
Title
Sewer System Management Plans Update - Russian River CSD
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt a Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Russian River County Sanitation District approving the implementation of the Sewer System Management Plan and authorizing the General Manager of Sonoma Water to periodically update the Russian River County Sanitation District’s Sewer System Management Plan as necessary to reflect current regulatory requirements and best practices, in Accordance with State Water Resources Control Board Order No. WQ 2022-0103-DWQ.
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Executive Summary:
On December 6, 2022, the State Water Resources Control Board adopted Order No. WQ 2022-0103-DWQ Statewide Waste Discharge Requirements (WDR) General Order for Sanitary Sewer Systems. This Order, which is directed to sewer collection systems only and not wastewater treatment plants, updates the previous Orders adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board for the development and implementation of a Sewer System Management Plan. Sewer System Management Plans must include provisions to provide proper and cost-effective management, operations, and maintenance of sanitary sewer systems. The Russian River County Sanitation District (District) is subject to WDR Order No. WQ 2022-0103-DWQ for Sanitary Sewer Systems. The WDR requires entities to update their Sewer System Management Plan at a minimum every six (6) years after the last Plan Update due date.
Discussion:
Sanitary sewer overflows (Spills) are overflows from sanitary sewer systems that may contain domestic, industrial, and/or commercial wastewater. Spills can cause a public nuisance and potentially pose a public health hazard, particularly when raw, untreated wastewater is discharged to areas with high public exposure.
The WDR requires a system-specific Sewer System Management Plan (Plan) to be developed and implemented by the District. The Plan must be self-audited at least every three (3) years and updated and approved, at least every six (6) years, by the governing board of the sewer system. The Plan must include provisions to provide proper and cost-effective management, operations, and maintenance of sanitary sewer systems, while taking into consideration risk management and cost-benefit analysis. Additionally, the Plan must contain a spill response plan that establishes standard procedures for immediate response to a Spill in a manner designed to minimize water quality impacts and potential public nuisance or hazardous conditions.
The District’s Plan was designed to create programs that reduce untreated wastewater spills and ensure effective responses to any spills that occur. The requirements for a Sewer System Management Plan specify eleven (11) mandatory elements that must be addressed, and that the Sewer System Management Plan is made available to the public.
The goal of the Sewer System Management Plan is to implement a program that works toward:
1. Preventing any Spill that results in a discharge of untreated or partially treated wastewater to the waters of the United States; and
2. Preventing any Spill that creates a nuisance (as defined by the California Water Code (Section 13050(m)). This will ensure that:
a) The Spill will be properly managed, operated, and maintained to minimize Spills and their impacts on receiving waters and public health.
b) When Spills occur, the corresponding response will be prompt, and all feasible steps will be taken to mitigate the impact from the overflow, and reporting, recordkeeping, and, when appropriate, public notifications will be adequate.
The District’s Plan has been prepared in compliance with the requirements of the California State Water Resources Control Board, promulgated waste discharge requirements on December 6, 2022, to regulate sanitary sewer systems. The District’s Plan is intended to meet the requirements of the WDR.
The District’s Plan documents and formalizes, for the sewer collection system only, operations and maintenance procedures that are already in place, with the added benefit of establishing a regular auditing schedule in addition to the requirements of regular communications with the public on the implementation of the Plan. The District’s objective is to eliminate spills with the implementation of capital projects, ongoing planning efforts, maintenance projects, and public outreach. The District is making progress in evaluating the sewer collection system by cleaning sewer lines based on staff assessments using closed-circuit television (CCTV). Furthermore, staff have initiated CCTVing manholes, which can serve as sources of inflow and infiltration, resulting in elevated flows entering the wastewater treatment plant.
The District has had spills, and fiscal resources are needed to reduce them. Efforts to reduce the number of spills within the collections system include implementing repair, rehabilitation, and replacement projects within the sewer collection system; working with local authorities on identifying future development and how it relates to the capacity of the collection system; and improving the Pollution Prevention and Source Control website to convey outreach and educational materials to the public. The Plan addresses the collection system and not the treatment plant, which had a recent bypass event, but additional efforts separate from this Plan are also planned to enhance resilience at the treatment plant.
County of Sonoma Strategic Plan:
N/A
Sonoma Water Strategic Plan Alignment
This item directly supports Sonoma Water’s Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following goal, strategy, and action item.
Goal: 2. Planning and Infrastructure - Implement comprehensive, integrated, and innovative infrastructure planning to strengthen existing services, minimize life cycle costs, and prepare for the future.
Strategy: 2.1 Conduct planning that integrates and balances operational, maintenance, and infrastructure priorities.
Action Item: 2.1.3 Continue to engage in planning efforts to support reliable wastewater and flood management services.
Updating the Sewer Management Plan for Russian River County Sanitation District will enhance ongoing efforts to reduce spills and identify areas needing repair.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
04/20/2021: Adopted a Resolution approving the update to the Sewer System Management Plans
06/14/2016: Adopted a Resolution approving the implementation of the Sewer System Management Plans
Fiscal Summary
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
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Attachments:
Attachment 1 - 2026 Russian River County Sanitation District, Sewer System Management Plan
Attachment 2 - Resolution
Attachment 3 - State Water Resources Control Board Order No. WQ 2022-0103-DWQ
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None