Fortuna approves Jacobs amendment for wastewater NPDES compliance design; project timeline aims for 2027 regulatory deadline

The Fortuna City Council on Monday authorized the city manager to execute a professional‑services contract amendment with Jacobs Engineering for the city’s NPDES compliance project, approving an amendment of $1,829,722 and establishing a contract not to exceed $4,900,000 to complete engineering and support services for treatment‑plant upgrades.

Bridal Bird, Fortuna public works director and city engineer, told the council the Pacific Northwest–style activated‑sludge treatment plant must meet regulatory demands that include reduced nitrogen limits and limits on connectivity to surface waters during the discharge prohibition period. Bird said the city received two regulatory orders in 2017 — a time‑schedule order and an NPDES compliance schedule — that drive the work. Bird said the city has pursued alternatives over the past five years and is now focusing design work at the existing treatment plant while pursuing a triennial‑review process that could allow continued use of the city’s percolation ponds.

Bird described the plant as a conventional secondary activated‑sludge facility located west of U.S. Highway 101 between adjacent commercial gravel operations and said the plant operates a solids handling program that produces Class A compost. He told the council that the city’s previous engineering contract, awarded in 2020, totaled approximately $2.8 million and that project changes and inflation have produced the current proposed amendment. Bird said the city’s mid‑range construction delivery estimate is about $46 million and that the wastewater reserve fund (Fund 560) has a balance of roughly $9 million; the delivery plan anticipates a combination of reserves, low‑interest Clean Water State Revolving Fund loans and roughly $6 million in principal forgiveness.

On schedule, Bird said staff expects a draft updated NPDES permit from the North Coast regional board in summer 2025, hopes to complete design in early 2026 and is targeting construction to meet regulatory requirements by the existing deadline of December 31, 2027.

Bird recommended approval: "It is staff's recommendation that the council authorize the city manager to execute a professional services contract amendment" with the stated amendment amount and contract limit, and the council approved the measure in a unanimous roll‑call vote.

Ending: With the amendment approved, staff said Jacobs will proceed with design work and the city will continue updates to its Clean Water State Revolving Fund application, the triennial‑review process with the regional board and public updates as the design advances.