New Waste Water Treatment Plant Timeline

The engineers at DSPUD are busily working on a number of projects related to the new sewage treatment plant, the one we have to build to satisfy new State requirements.   All of the pieces must dovetail neatly in order for construction to begin, conclude on time, and for us to meet the “cease and desist” order the State filed on DSPUD.  If we fail to have the new plant in operation by April, 2014, we’ll be paying large fines and still need a sewage plant.

DSPUD is working on meeting the State CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) requirements.  Meeting those requirements is kind of ironic since the State is requiring the new plant.  DSPUD is working on the Federal version of the same thing because part of the new plant will be on Forest Service land.  They are working up preliminary  designs, their own financing (we can’t work together on that), an election for approval in the DSPUD area, and soliciting vendors for the various components.

SLCWD does not own part of the current plant.  We only contract for 44% of it and will contract for somewhat less of the new plant.  Two of our Board members, Ulrich Luscher and Wade Freedle, work on a joint committee with DSPUD.  We are working on our own financing through the USDA and our own election.

Things have progressed enough now so that we can publish a tentative timeline and list public meetings.  For a good background on the issues go to the SLCWD sewage plant page. "No Choice" is a good starting article.

SLCWD public meetings:

Keep an eye on the SLCWD website for any changes.

Election
January 2012: Election ballots had to be returned by 1/13/12. They were counted on 1/14/12. The measure to set up an assessment district to pay for the SLCWD portion of the new sewer plant passed 85% to 15%. See the results and resolution here.