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Ukiah water resources update: new authority, recycled water users, wastewater upgrades underway
Summary
Water resources staff reported formation of the Ukiah Valley Water Authority, SAFER grant application, a planned additional well, recycled‑water user contracts, and wastewater plant equipment upgrades including a new screw press and near‑completion of Phase 4 improvements.
Sean White, Director of Water Resources, briefed the City Council on water and wastewater priorities, including work to operationalize the Ukiah Valley Water Authority, an application for a SAFER grant, and a plan to drill a new well to add redundancy to the groundwater portfolio.
White said the Ukiah Valley Water Authority resulted from about 2½ years of negotiations with regional partners and now moves toward physical consolidation: "We now get to do the part of actually turning our new partnership into a physical entity," he said. Staff also described a completed CEQA document and preliminary plans for a new well site; drilling will proceed when ground conditions permit.
On recycled water, staff said most current users are under 10‑year contracts that provided free delivery to encourage early adoption; the earliest users began receiving water in 2019 and will have several years remaining on their free period. White said the city expects to charge for recycled water after those incentive periods expire and as water markets change.
Wastewater staff described plant upgrades completed and underway. The city replaced an obsolete belt filter press with a screw press that produces drier biosolids and is simpler to service, and replaced a DAF unit with a SAF system that lowered turbidity while reducing electrical demand. The plant has been able to avoid discharge to the river in recent seasons by relying on percolation and irrigation storage, and the city’s NPDES permit was approved on the regional board consent calendar in August 2024.
Capital projects under way include a solids conveyor upgrade to improve safety and load consistency for hauled biosolids and a proposed septage receiving facility that is expected to generate revenue after initial investment. Staff said Phase 4 wastewater improvements are largely complete and aimed for commissioning in September 2025. No formal council actions were requested during the presentation.
