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Wastewater Neighborhood Meetings

Code of Conduct: Be willing - participate fully; Be Kind - treat others with dignity and respect; Be open - consider new ideas and perspectives; Be

Truthful - share accurate facts about my situation

A PLAN TO PROTECT OUR GROUNDWATER

Presented by:

CALIFORNIA REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD

• May 19, 2011 resolution

• Septic discharge prohibition in 2016 for

parts of the Town of Yucca Valley

• Prohibition area will incorporate more of

the Town in 2019 and again in 2022

• No discharge will be allowed after those

dates

SEPTIC SYSTEM FACTS

• Solid materials settle in tanks

• Liquids discharged into aquifer through leach

line

• Discharge pollutes groundwater

• Malfunction or leaking

systems often go

undetected

OUR GROUNDWATER:WHAT’S HAPPENING

• Decades of septic use• Nitrate levels rising• Pharmaceutical and other pollutants• Septic discharge is responsible

Stopping discharge will protect our groundwater

WHAT ARE THE CRWQCB’s WAYS TO

CEASE DISCHARGING?

SEAL AND PUMP YOUR SEPTIC SYSTEM

• Average pumping cost: $365• How often?– Septic systems: 750-1500 gallons– Average person generates approx. 80

gallons/day wastewater– 2.19 people per residence on average in Yucca

Valley– Expensive

Every drop that goes down the drain would have to be pumped

PACKAGE TREATMENT PLANT

• Approx. $25,000• Upfront payment required• Monthly maintenance/monitoring (testing)– $300-$700 per month

• Owner responsible for repairs• CRWQCB yearly permit fee• Additional Costs: Fencing, Replacement

Parts, labor, etc.• Expensive

COMMUNITY-WIDE SEWER SYSTEM

• Most cost-effective option

• Spreads costs fairly over everyone

• District responsible for maintenance,

monitoring and repairs

• No upfront payment required

• Meets government and state agencies’

standards

WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO CHANGE THE WAY THINGS ARE

CURRENTLY BEING DONE

WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DON’T COMPLY?

• State steps in

• Enforcement:

– Cease and desist notices

– Letters of noncompliance

– Forced to stop discharge

– Fines

PROPOSED SOLUTION

• Private connection– Connects from home to the sewer pipes (and

abandons septic system)

• Collection system– Pipes that transport wastewater all the way to

the treatment facility; as well as road restoration.

• Treatment facility– Treats wastewater to a standard that can safely

be discharged back into ground through recharge ponds and will reduce reliance on imported water by 1/3

KEEPING COSTS AS LOW AS POSSIBLE

• Secured more than $7 million in grants

• Explored many different design options

• Low interest rates

– 1.3% interest rate

– May receive a lower interest rate

– Low rates could save millions on this project

– We need to act now

HOW WILL WE PAY?

• Grants

• Form assessment district

• Assessments paid on property tax bill over 30

years (low interest)

• Assessment district secures loan and releases

funds to build project

– Secondary loan for private property connections

(optional)

ASSESSMENT DISTRICT

• Mail-in ballot• Weighted vote based upon discharge

amount• Greater than 50% of weighted ($) votes

must say yes• When the Assessment District passes, the

prohibition dates may be extended by CRWQCB

If it doesn’t pass, project will not be funded and prohibition remains

UNCHANGED

PHASES

• Online tool available to help you find

your phase

• Assessments vary on which Phase

property is located in

- Phase I will be connecting first

- Phase II & III will have subsequent

assessments

MAP OF PROJECT

PHASE I PROPERTY COST

Infrastructure (financed) +Private Connection (financed) +

Monthly Sewer Service Bill = Total Phase 1 Cost

SHARED INFRASTRUCTURE COST

Phase 2 and 3 will have subsequent assessments when they are ready to be constructed

PHASE I PROJECT COSTS$146,039,436

Property Type Cost Monthly @1%

Monthly @ .5%

Monthly @ 0%

Phase I: Single Family Residence $18,280 $59 $55 $51

Phase I: Multi-Family Residence $13,915 $45 $42 $39

Phase I: Mobile Home Residence $10,495 $34 $32 $30

Phase I: Undeveloped Land $14,255 $46 $43 $40

Phase I: Deferred $8,775 $29 $27 $25

Phase II & III: Infrastructure Cost Share

$4,495 $15 $14 $13

PHASE I INFRASTRUCTURE COST1%

INTEREST

0.5% INTEREST

0% INTERES

T

TOTAL COST $146,039,436

$23,723,142

$11,590,793

$0.00

COMMERCIAL SHARED INFRASTRUCTURE COST• Assessment Engineers Calculation• Based on amount of water usage

2012/2013• Minimum cost of 1 EDU = SFR (18,280)• Once commercial EDU is determined the

approx. cost is calculated as follows: Approx. EDUs X 18,280 = Approx. Cost

Call District for cost

PRIVATE CONNECTION COST

• Approx. $2,000 for Single Family Residence

• Commercial connection Estimates – Septic Tank Abandonment = $500 each

– Sewer Lateral Line = $25.50 linear foot (incl. asphalt)

– Lateral Cleanouts = $245.00

• Optional financing through District

• Low interest loan

• Also on property tax bill

• 30-year repayment term

• Payments begin in 2017

MONTHLY SEWER SERVICE BILL

• Will not be paid until you are connected and use

system

• Estimated bill:

– Single family residence: $36

– Multi-family per unit: $27

– Mobile home per unit: $21.60

• Businesses – based upon amount of wastewater

generated

HOW WILL OUR COMMUNITY BENEFIT FROM A CENTRALIZED

SYSTEM?

BENEFITS OF A SEWER SYSTEM

• Removes Nitrates and other Pollutants from

our local water supply

• Secures safe drinking water for the future of

the community

• Replenishes our local water supply

• Beneficial to our environment

• Beneficial for our health

NEXT STEPS

• Hosting meetings

• Assessment Vote

• Construction will begin

• Visit ProtectGroundwater.org and watch our

video for more information

• Call or email us with questions anytime

QUESTIONS?

OUR GROUNDWATER:WHAT’S HAPPENING

• Decades of septic use

• Nitrate levels rising

• Pharmaceutical and other pollutants

• Septic discharge is responsible

Stopping discharge will protect our groundwater

SEPTIC SYSTEM FACTS

• Solid materials settle in tanks

• Liquids discharged into aquifer through leach

line

• Discharge pollutes groundwater

• Malfunction or leaking

systems often go

undetected

PRIVATE CONNECTION COST

• Approx. $2,000 for Single Family Residence

• Commercial to be determined

• Optional financing through District

• Low interest loan

• Also on property tax bill

• 30-year repayment term

• Payments begin in Fall 2016

ISHARED INFRASTRUCTURE COST APACHE MOBILE HOME PARK

• Three Parcels: 059501322 059501336

059501349 (Non-Assessed)

• Calculated based on the amount of units on each parcel

SHARED INFRASTRUCTURE COST APACHE MOBILE HOME PARK

SHARED INFRASTRUCTURE COST

All three phases will have similar costs once entire project is com-pleted