California regulations may force a hike in sewer rates

Acorn Staff Writer


MICHAEL COONS/The Acorn  CONSTRUCTION-The Tapia Water Reclamation Facility in rural Calabasas faces costly changes to meet state requirements. The cost of those improvements could force a hike in sewer rates.

MICHAEL COONS/The Acorn CONSTRUCTION-The Tapia Water Reclamation Facility in rural Calabasas faces costly changes to meet state requirements. The cost of those improvements could force a hike in sewer rates.

California regulations may force

a hike in sewer rates

A set of strict new regulations about to be imposed by the state could result in higher sewer rates for customers of Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, LVMWD officials warned last week.


The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, a state agency, wants to reduce the amount of harmful nutrients that are released into Malibu Creek by LVMWD’s Tapia Water Reclamation Facility near Calabasas.


Every liter of wastewater produced by the sewer plant on Las Virgenes Road contains 13 milligrams of inorganic nitrogen, which is said to contribute to algae buildup in the creek and in Malibu Lagoon near Surfrider Beach.


Tapia’s current permit calls for a reduction in nitrogen to 10 milligrams per liter by October, but LVMWD officials say the state water board could put the allowable nitrogen as low as 2.5 milligrams. The state board also intends to limit the amount of other nutrients leading to algae growth, such as phosphorous.


Scientists say water that contains excessive algae is less desirable for fish and other living things.


Currently, LVMWD is banned from releasing its wastewater into Malibu Creek for six months out of the year.


Las Virgenes Board Director Glen Peterson said algae growth already exists in segments of the stream where Tapia has no impact.


"[The state board] doesn’t realize that the impairment in that creek is not all Tapia’s problem," Peterson said.


Still, the sewer plant must satisfy the new regulations in order to receive a renewal of it National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. The 36-year-old plant requires the permit to continue operations.


"I think there’s a long way to go," said Jim Colbaugh, LVMWD General Manager.


The changes needed to bring Tapia in line with the new regulations could cost as much as $88 million, according to an LVMWD consultant. The construction of new aeration basins would allow the plant to increase operating capacity from 10 million gallons a day to 16 million gallons a day.


But Peterson said, "Spending this kind of money is absurd."


The LVMWD board discussed the acquisition of new debt to pay for the Tapia upgrades and other capital improvements needed in the district over the next five years.


Board director Glen Longarini suggested the imposition of a sewer rate increase and an energy surcharge as a way to pay for the higher sanitation costs.


The district’s current sanitation budget is $3 million in the red, according to a finance department spokesperson.


The district took steps to improve its financial picture by renewing an annual tax known as the standby charge or parcel tax.


The tax, which began seven years ago, requires landowners to pay $10 per parcel for one acre of land or less, or an average of 85 cents a month. Owners with more than an acre pay $10 per acre.


The standby charge raises almost $700,000 a year to help pay for capital improvements such as new pumps and water pipes in the 120 square-mile district.


The Las Virgenes system includes more than 325 miles of water lines, 22 storage tanks and 20 pump stations from the East San Fernando Valley to Westlake Village.


Two-thirds of the district’s proposed $66 million capital improvement plan calls for the replacement of existing infrastructure. Only a third goes to construction of new projects.


The capital improvements include not only the changes at Tapia, but construction of new sewage connections to the city of Los Angeles sewer system and new reclaimed water pipes to begin serving Malibu Golf Course.




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