Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
June 17, 2009
4. Water Quality –
City says change wastewater accord
Oroville Mercury-Register
Carquinez water flows in to revive
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City says change wastewater accord
Oroville Mercury-Register-6/17/09
By Mary Weston
City of
An agreement between the Sewerage Commission-Oroville Region and developers was on the agenda for discussion at the meeting.
City Attorney Dwight Moore said the agreement could be remedied by breaking it into two parts, so developers would know what they would have to pay for and how much it would cost before signing an agreement.
SC-OR has been crafting a capacity agreement for subdivisions with more than 20 dwelling units and annexations.
The agreement would require developers to sign an agreement to pay for a capacity study and infrastructure necessary to provide wastewater treatment services to a proposed development or area annexed into the city limits.
SC-OR operates the wastewater treatment plant that serves the three-member agencies that collect wastewater and sewage.
The city of
He recommended the agreement be broken into two parts, first of which requiring the study.
After the study determined what infrastructure would be needed, the developer could sign an agreement to pay for infrastructure if it was feasible.
Other councilors called it a delay tactic by the city.
Steve Jernigan said SC-OR had been working on the agreement for six months and had brought it before the city's executive committee for discussion.
Additionally, Jernigan and city staff could have taken their concerns directly to SC-OR.
Eric Teitelman, director of community development and public works, said capacity issues at the sewer plant would be resolved during the city's process to approve developments.
First the developer would outline a project during a pre-application meeting, and the city staff would outline requirements.
If the project looked good, the developer would fill out an application with all project details. The city would start the environmental review process. Studies would be made to determine how to mitigate any concerns, including adequate capacity at the sewer plant.
Agencies would be allowed to comment, and the Planning Commission could add conditions for needed infrastructure on the tentative subdivision map.
Those conditions would have to be met before a final subdivision map was issued.
City Administrator Sharon Atteberry said the local agency that oversees annexations had said the city's process "works like a well-oiled machine."
Michael Evans, who owns Fun World, said the city was the only agency belonging to SC-OR who had the right to approve development and the agreement usurped that authority.
Evans said that gave SC-OR the power to block growth.
Scott Belyea, of KJB Homes, had several concerns with the agreement. KJB Homes has proposed the
Other large developments in the works by the city and county have the potential to add more than 10,00 units that would be served by SC-OR.
Tuesday night, Council agreed to send a recommendation to SC-OR to break the agreement into two parts.
http://www.orovillemr.com/search/ci_12606423?IADID=Search-www.orovillemr.com-www.orovillemr.com
Carquinez water flows in to revive
By Mike Taugher
For the first time in about a century, water from
The tide gates were opened shortly after 10 a.m. and water flowed into a reach where it could convert up to 200 acres of seasonal wetlands into a permanent tidal marsh.
It was the second attempt to restore Peyton Slough just east of Interstate 680, before the
The polluted dirt was covered up, the slough rerouted, and on Tuesday they tried again, this time with the Bay Area's top water quality regulator watching and smiling.
"This is a big step, to be able to open this (tide gate) to let the water flow in a more natural situation," said Bruce Wolfe, executive officer of the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control District.
On the shore side of the gate, the marsh is lush from the tidal wetting. On the other side, the marsh is drier with only the treated discharge from the Mountain View Sanitary District to wet it.
"There's going to be 10 times as much water coming in and out of this site," said Karl Malamud-Roam, environmental projects manager for the Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District. "This site is now clean enough that we can restore it to the tides."
About 80 percent of tidal marsh in
The flow of tidal water is expected to increase habitat for birds and fish.
"It'll be interesting to see what likes it," said Mary Brown, the restoration's project manager for Rhodia Inc., a chemical manufacturer that owns much of the property.#
The state had originally proposed eliminating the funding, which could have led the county to cancel some or all of its testing. However, the California Department of Public Health has agreed to pay about $85,000 for half of last year’s testing and $167,000 for this summer.
That’s a cut of 10 percent from the program’s previous annual funding, said Bill Stratton, who oversees the testing program for the county Environmental Health Division. That will allow a “slightly reduced” program of testing for seven months of the year, he said.
The division is still “trying to work something out” with the state to pay for testing during the winter at some of the county’s popular year-round beaches, Stratton said.#
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/jun/17/county-gets-funds-to-test-ocean-water-quality/
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