Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors, Acting as the Governing Board of the Ten County Sewer/Sanitation Districts
From: James C. Porter, Director of Public Works
Subject: Re-certification of the Sewer System Management Plan for the Ten County Sewer/Sanitation Districts Governed by the Board of Supervisors
RECOMMENDATION:
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Acting as the Governing Board of the ten County Sewer/Sanitation Districts, adopt a resolution:
A) Re-certifying the Sewer System Management Plan in accordance with the California State Water Resources Control Board Statewide General Waste Discharge Requirements for Sanitary Sewer Systems; and
B) Directing the Director of Public Works to implement and periodically update the revised Sewer System Management Plan as necessary to comply with current regulatory requirements and best practices.
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BACKGROUND:
On May 2, 2006, the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) adopted the Statewide General Waste Discharge Requirements (GWDR) for Sanitary Sewer Systems Order No. 2006-0003 (Order) to provide a consistent, statewide regulatory approach to address sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs). All public agencies that own or operate sanitary sewer systems greater than one mile in length that collect and/or convey wastewater to publicly owned treatment facilities are required to comply with the Order. On July 30, 2013, Attachment A to the Order was promulgated and became effective on September 9, 2013 and is known as Attachment A, State Water Board Order No. WQO 2013-0058-EXEC, amending the Monitoring and Reporting Program of the Statewide GWDR for Sanitary Sewer Systems (together these documents constitute the “SSS WDR”).
The SSS WDR requires that these public agencies report all SSOs in the State Water Board’s online SSO database and seek approval from their governing board for the development of a Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP) and the final SSMP at a public meeting. The SSS WDR also requires agencies to self-audit their SSMPs at least every two years and re-certify the SSMP every five years, or whenever significant updates to the SSMP are made, by their governing board at a public meeting.
The SSMP documents an agency’s existing or proposed programs to properly operate and maintain its sanitary sewer system. The SSMP must address eleven (11) specific elements in accordance with the SSS WDR. Exhibit “A” includes the “Summary of the Eleven Mandatory Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP) Elements”.
The ten County Sewer/Sanitation Districts (Districts) governed by your Board provide sanitary sewage collection, transport, treatment and disposal services to approximately 12,000 residences, businesses, schools, and institutions in ten (10) areas of San Mateo County with an estimated total population of 40,000 based on the Year 2010 Census.
On August 25, 2009, your Board adopted Resolution No. 070339, approving the SSMP prepared in accordance with the Order and directing the Director of Public Works to implement and periodically update the SSMP as necessary to comply with current regulatory requirements and best practices.
On August 5, 2014, you Board adopted Resolution No. 073304, re-certifying the SSMP and directing the Director of Public Works to implement and periodically update the SSMP as necessary to comply with current regulatory requirements and best practices.
DISCUSSION:
Since the SSMP was re-certified in 2014, the Department has periodically updated portions of the SSMP to comply with current regulatory requirements and best practices. However, the SSMP must be re-certified at this time to comply with the five year re-certification requirement of the SS WDR.
The following portions or elements of the SSMP that have been modified are described below:
Table of Contents
The sequence and the title of the eleven (11) elements have been modified to match Section D.13 of the SSS WDR.
Element 4 “Operation and Maintenance Program”
This Element has been updated by adding the basin cleaning program, high frequency cleaning program, and manhole inspection program. In addition, the schedules for the closed-circuit television (CCTV) inspection of the sewer systems have been moved to the Appendix for ease of making updates as schedules change.
Element 8 “System Evaluation and Capacity Assurance Plan”
This Element has been updated to identify Districts with hydraulically deficient (capacity related) projects. The Element was also modified to document the Sewer System Flow Monitoring and Hydraulic Modeling Project completed for the Fair Oaks Sewer Maintenance District in 2015. In addition, the Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) schedule has been moved to the Appendix for ease of making updates as schedules change.
The revised SSMP in its entirety is available on the Public Works Sewer Services web page at:
<https://publicworks.smcgov.org/sewer-system-management-plan>
County Counsel has reviewed and approved the Resolution as to form.
Approval of this action will contribute to the Shared Vision 2025 outcome of a Healthy Community by providing an updated plan to manage the Districts effectively to minimize sanitary sewer overflows, which may pollute surface or groundwater, threaten public health, and impair the recreational use of surface waters.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The cost of implementing the SSMP will be charged to each district proportionately based on the number of equivalent residential units per district. The State Water Board also requires that an annual fee be paid for enrollment in the mandatory online reporting program. Costs for complying with the SSO reporting requirement will continue to be allocated to the specific district that experienced an SSO.
There is no impact on the General Fund.
Exhibit “A”: Summary of the Eleven Mandatory Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP) Elements