CCWD breaks ground on plant

Calaveras County Water District officials and political dignitaries formally broke ground Friday on a $4.42 million upgrade to the district’s Douglas Flat-Vallecito Wastewater Treatment Plant.   

Funded by federal stimulus funds, the project will allow more residents of the area — now prohibited by a moratorium — to connect to the district’s sewer system. It will also allow in-fill type development in the area, previously hindered by the lack of sewer connections.
  

The wastewater treatment plant reached its capacity and needed upgrades to meet state regulatory requirements, according to district officials. If the district did not secure adequate funding for the improvements, CCWD customers would have had to absorb the cost of the required upgrades or pay hefty fines for non-compliance, officials said.

District staff worked hard to make sure the project qualified for funding, Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Fair Oaks, noted during Friday’s ceremony.

“There’s nothing I like better than to be around programs and a project that creates jobs,” the congressman said. “CCWD did a great job of pursuing this and that persistence has paid off.”

CCWD Board President Don Stump said Lungren has cooperated with the district for many years on this and other projects. As a result of redistricting, Lungren will cease to represent the county in Congress next January.

When CCWD first applied for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, the district received notice that the Douglas Flat and Vallecito communities did not meet the eligibility requirements for a full grant under the “disadvantaged community” classification.

District officials immediately set to work to demonstrate the affected area indeed meets the requirements by commissioning an independent household income survey by mail. After two rounds of surveys, there was sufficient response to secure the towns’ “disadvantaged,” or low-income status.

The State Water Resources Control Board will administer the grant, which Lungren noted may lead to additional development and agricultural production on the Highway 4 corridor. As part of the expansion and upgrade, the plant will treat waste to a tertiary level, which allows it to be used for irrigation and other non-potable uses.

The district’s commitment to tertiary treatment throughout its system shows “you are really on the forefront of water treatment issues in the state of California,” said Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen, R-Modesto.   

Contractor Twain Harte Construction began work at the site on Holiday Mine Road earlier this month and completion is scheduled for January 2013, said CCWD General Manager Joone Lopez.
   

Contact Sean Janssen at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 890-7741.