Nevada County Grand Jury
• 2004-2005
Nevadacity Wastewater Treatment Inquiry Reason for Investigation The 2003 - 2004 Grand Jury investigated the status of
⚠️ Aviso de traducción: Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 11 findings
F1
On November 29, 2000, the City applied for a permit renewal to discharge waste under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) from the City’s domestic Waste Water Treatment Plant.
No recommendations for this finding
F2
The current Nevada City wastewater discharge requirements are contained in CVB Order No. R5-2002-0050 dated April 26, 2002. Effluent compliance limitations are contained in Cease and Desist Order No. R5-2002-0051 dated April 26, 2002. Full compliance with the provisions of this order must be certified by April 15, 2007.
No recommendations for this finding
F3
The Board Order contains effluent compliance limitations for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate plus nitrite. During low temperature conditions, the current plant design and operation can result in incomplete nitrification and/or denitrification of wastewater resulting in increased concentrations of ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite. A modified pH adjustment system may be necessary to consistently comply with pH effluent limitations. Dates for achieving compliance limitations are: Task Compliance Date Progress Reports 30 April and 31 October of each year Achieve Full Compliance 15 April 2007
No recommendations for this finding
F4
The planned upgrade of the NCWWTP will convert sequencing batch reactors to a continuous flow selector activated sludge system. The upgrade is designed to produce substantial improvements in year-round nitrification-denitrification and average effluent turbidity. Clarifiers, automated fine screening, washing and compaction and a new disk filter are designed to increase clarification efficiency. The chlorination/dechlorination system will be renovated. The final pH correction will use medium-dilution liquid sodium hydroxide if necessary.
No recommendations for this finding
F5
The engineering design plans for the upgraded and expanded facilities, including enlarging the office and laboratory building, have been reviewed and approved by an independent engineering contractor.
No recommendations for this finding
F6
Key internal milestones for the plant upgrade project are design and approval in March 2005, award of construction contract in June 2005, construction from July 2005 to October 2006 and completion of plant start-up and training in April 2007.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
The City Council of Nevada City should exercise best business practices and due diligence in the conduct and coordination of the construction of the upgraded NCWWTP with the on-going operations of the facility. An on-site construction inspector with wastewater experience could help to ensure efficient operations and maintenance of the plant concurrent with the construction activities associated with the new facilities at the same location.
F7
Financing of the project will be through a grant and loan from U. S. Department of Agriculture. Total cost is projected at $3.723 million, of which $1 million is a grant and $2.723 million is a loan.
No recommendations for this finding
F8
The City Council is investigating the feasibility of contracting for operations and maintenance personnel for the NCWWTP. The City currently has three full time wastewater operator positions and two part time positions. However, industry demands and salaries for certified operators with highly specialized skills have increased significantly. This has triggered the City’s interest in contracting for fully qualified certified personnel.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
The City Council of Nevada City should determine the relative merits of hiring qualified certified wastewater operators and maintenance personnel as city employees vis-à-vis contracting for these services.
F9
The Nevada City sewer rate is currently $33.50 per month for a single-family dwelling. On July 1, 2005, the rate will be increased to $35.25 per month. The base rate can be adjusted to cover increased operations and maintenance expenses, upgrades and debt service costs.
No recommendations for this finding
F10
The NCWWTP upgrade project does not require increasing the licensed design capacity of the current plant. Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) population model projections, based on the general plan, indicate a population increase of only 152 in 2007 and 1,083 in 2012. Nevada City has determined the increased sewage flows attributable to this population growth are well within the licensed design capacity of the current NCWWTP.
No recommendations for this finding
F11
Nevada City was recently served with Notice of Violation from the CVB pertaining to the practice of performing non-certified in-house analyses of ammonia and coliform. This violates Board Order requirements that the monitoring and reporting program for these elements be performed by certified laboratory analyses procedures. Previously the City had been performing the analyses using certified personnel, but the City laboratory was not certified. The City has now contracted for certified laboratory analysis services and plans for certification of the laboratory in the plant upgrade. CONCLUSIONS
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
The City Council of Nevada City should investigate sharing of certified facilities and personnel with neighboring wastewater plants for required testing and analyses of wastewater and effluents elements as a cost saving measure.
Additional Recommendations 1
These recommendations are not explicitly linked to specific findings.
-
R3The City Council of Nevada City should investigate the technical and operational feasibility of consolidating selected operations and maintenance services with neighboring wastewater plants including those of the City of Grass Valley and the several Waste Water Special Districts in Nevada County.
Conclusions 4
-
CL1 Page 4The Nevada City Waste Water Treatment Plant (NCWWTP) project for new construction and modifications appears to address the waste discharge requirements and compliance limitations set by the CVB.
-
CL2 Page 4NCWWTP project plans now call for contract award in June 2005 and start of construction in July 2005. These dates appear to be approximately two months behind the original internal planning schedule. No change is anticipated in attaining full Board compliance by April 15, 2007.
-
CL3 Page 4Rates to customers for wastewater services are expected to continue to increase over time. The City’s wastewater plant and operations are financially managed as an enterprise fund such that rates are adjusted to cover costs. These costs include construction, operations and maintenance and debt service. Plant upgrades and labor expenses to meet increasingly higher wastewater treatment standards, as imposed by the CVB, are expected to continue.
-
CL4 Page 5The increasing need for specialized skills may be more efficiently provided through contracting the required personnel services, especially for a small City work force.
No Responses Found 1
Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.
Nevada City
City