Q: Why is this issue important?

A: Though we’ve made repairs over time, there are portions of our system that are 30 to 60 years old and deteriorating.  We must upgrade our treatment facilities to improve their capacity and avoid spills of sewage into the Bay. 

Our aging system has lead to several spills of raw sewage into the Bay and in our residential neighborhoods. Bay spills make it a health risk for water recreaters or house boat residents to be in or near the water. Spills of raw sewage in residential neighborhoods also present a health and safety risk to our residents.

Sausalito-Marin City Sanitary District (SMCSD) -- along with other local sewage agencies -- are under a legal order to make essential environmental, health and safety upgrades to local sewer systems.

Making these upgrades protect the environment and the Bay, ensure the health and safety of our residents, prevent future United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Regional Water Quality Control Board fines, and avoid costly lawsuits and settlements that can result in greater costs to local ratepayers.

 

Q: What upgrades are being made?

A: There are a number of upgrades that are being made to our main treatment facility as well as the other infrastructure throughout the District. Projects include seismic safety upgrades, upgrades to pump stations and collection systems in Marin City, and additional  lateral inspection and repair—to stop problems before they happen. At our treatment plant we are implementing a project to increase capacity and constructing a major Headworks Project to improve treatment. Increased treatment capacity reduces the amount of collection system rehabilitation that would otherwise be needed to fix leaky sewer pipes from homes and in the street. It would also serve as an alternative to costly wet weather flow storage. The Headworks Project provides modern pretreatment to remove debris necessary for reliable plant operations.

 

Q: Does the community benefit?

A: Absolutely.  Fewer spills of untreated sewage protect the environment and the health and safety of our community, which is beneficial to us all. The increase in treatment capacity will mean less pollutants going into the Bay.

 

Q: How will SMCSD fund these improvements?

A:  SMCSD is considering a new rate structure this spring. While state and federal governments continue to impose new regulations and requirements, unfortunately they provide NO funding for these mandates.  All rates are legally required to be equitable—so businesses and residents pays their fair share.

 

Q: Is SMCSD coordinating with other agencies on these efforts?

A: Yes. The EPA order applies to SMCSD, the City of Sausalito, and the Tamalpais Community Services District (TCSD) because we all share Richardson’s Bay waterfront.  The three agencies are required by the EPA Order to coordinate efforts to ensure the most effective use of resources and the health and safety of our community.

 

Q: What happens if nothing is done?

A: Without these upgrades, our system will continue to age and deteriorate. This will result in more frequent sewage spills and potentially larger, more severe spills that continue to damage our Bay environment. If SMCSD fails to comply with the EPA order, we could face hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, which would be irresponsible in today’s economic climate for ratepayers. 

 

Q: Will these upgrades improve water conditions in the Bay?

A: Yes. By improving our sewer system and increasing its capacity we can prevent future spills of untreated sewage into the Bay. These spills close beaches and waterways and can pose a heath hazard to our community. While we cannot guarantee the elimination  of spills, these upgrades will ensure we have a safer system and any spills that may occur would be smaller and contained more easily.

 

Q: Can we make these upgrades without new rates?

A: Unfortunately, no.  These upgrades require a significant capital investment in our community’s health and safety. There are no other sources that can fund these needed upgrades. As in other jurisdictions, ratepayers are required to fund the cost of providing sewage treatment services.

 

Q: How can we be sure that these funds will be spent as promised?

A: All funds raised by sewer fees are legally required to be spent on the sewer system, and not for other purposes. In addition, these funds are subject to annual independent audits, the results of which are available to the public.

 

Q: Can these funds be taken by the State?

A: No. These funds are legally required to stay in the Sausalito and Marin City communities, and be spent on our sewer systems. Sacramento cannot take these funds.

 

Q: Why do homes of different sizes pay the same rate?

A: The SMCSD uses a flat rate system for treatment because our costs are largely fixed, both in infrastructure required to collect and treat the wastewater and in the staffing to operate and maintain the infrastructure. Studies have shown that variation in flow from customers has little impact on the cost of service. This system is commonly used in the area and throughout California.  

District sewer service charges pay for the cost of operating, maintaining, and renewing District infrastructure. Ninety percent (90%) of the District’s operations and maintenance costs are fixed, that is, the costs do not vary based on an increase or decrease of wastewater flow. Theses costs include District staffing, maintenance and repair services, laboratory, permit compliance and administration.

The only operational costs that vary based on the quantity of wastewater discharged include the following:

1. Power to run pumps and other hydraulic equipment and,
2. Chemicals to treat wastewater

The costs of power and chemicals represent only about 10% of our combined annual operating, maintenance and renewal budget. The District has concluded that a flow based system of charges is not warranted nor in the best interest of our customers.  Our conclusion considers the following factors:

1. Accurately determining the variation of flow between customer classes is difficult.
2. The occupancy and corresponding water usage among residential customer classes are dynamic and change over time.
3. The sizing of District collection and treatment facilities is largely dictated by peak wet weather flow, land use, and other considerations.  Residential and commercial wastewater flow is not significant in the sizing of District infrastructure renewal projects or in determining infrastructure renewal costs.
4. The variation in sewer charges using flow-based bills would not be great.
5. The cost to administer such a flow based system would likely be high.

Consider an example of two homes—one of which is 1500 sq. feet with one toilet, and the other 3500 sq. feet with 3 toilets. In this example, both of these homes need the same amount of infrastructure to support the safe collection and treatment of the sewage they create.  Therefore, they are treated equally in our rate structure. While the amount of flow may vary, differences in usage or flow does not affect the fact that all residential structures need identical access to the pipes, pump stations, treatment facilities, etc. that the SMCSD provides.

This is very similar to a membership to a 24 hour fitness gym—you pay a flat monthly rate regardless of how often you go.  The person who goes weekly pays the same as the person who goes daily, because the rate ensures access to the gym and the gym is obligated to ensure that they have the facilities you need, when you need them—the up keep of the gym is a fixed cost. In the same way SMCSD must provide the infrastructure to all, at all times.

 

Q: Why do I pay two sewer charges?

A: For City of Sausalito residents, two different sewer related charges appear on your property tax roles. The SMCSD charge is for sewage treatment, and the City of Sausalito charge is for sewage collection. These are separate charges for two separate sewer related services. In other areas the SMCSD provides both services to ratepayers, thus they pay one combined rate.

 

Q: Is SMCSD still considering building a large sewer storage tank?

A: No.  A tank is not included in our current plans. After significant community feedback, we have eliminated our considered Martin Luther King, Jr. Park site completely—any future plans will not consider that site. Our current plan is to upgrade our current treatment facility, expand its capacity, to implement sewer repairs, and encourage private lateral repairs to avoid the need for a tank altogether.

 

Q: Didn’t you just implement new rates?

A: Last year the City of Sausalito -- not SMCSD -- implemented a new rate structure. Two years ago, SMCSD increased rates by $7.50 per month to help fund capital improvements now underway.    

 

Q: Would it be more cost effective to just build a new treatment plant somewhere else?

A: No. The costs of building a completely new plant at another location would be substantially higher than the costs of upgrading. The cost of finding and buying land and redoing all of the infrastructure required to transport sewage alone would be cost prohibitive. We have worked carefully and explored all options to ensure that we are making the least expensive, most cost-effective use of all ratepayers’ dollars.

 

Q: How can I get more information?

A: For more you can call 415.332.0244.