Plant operations staff told the Pinole‑Hercules Wastewater Subcommittee on July 10 that they completed a major aeration‑basin maintenance campaign, are scheduling replacement of a failed blower, will finish installing nutrient probes and plan to reissue an effluent‑outfall contract this summer after a 2024 bid received no offers.

Josh Binder, wastewater treatment plant manager, described the aeration basin work as an intensive maintenance and cleaning campaign that included removing and replacing 1,875 air diffusers and vacuuming settled debris from the tank bottom. “That was quite a large task the staff completed,” he said, and staff showed photographs of operators cleaning diffusers and squeegeeing the tank floor. Binder said the aeration basin switchover and maintenance work required roughly three months of operations and maintenance staff time.

On blower replacement, Binder reported the plant experienced a blower failure and the original manufacturer could not source a required part. The plant has procured a new blower with delivery scheduled for mid‑August 2025 and plans to replace the remaining two older blowers in the coming budget cycle using a different brand.

Nutrient probes remain in progress: staff will finish installing probes in the aeration basins now that the switchover is complete so the plant can collect longitudinal nutrient data to inform future nutrient‑removal planning. The effluent outfall project, which went to bid in 2024 and drew no bidders, will be repackaged and rebid this summer; staff said they increased the design budget from $150,000 to $250,000 to attract bidders.

The operations and maintenance manual required by the State Water Resources Control Board is being revised and staff expect to finish the update by the end of the year. Separately, the FY25–26 budget — approved by City Council on June 17 — added an associate engineer position focused on sewer projects; that position was posted on July 1, staff said.

Committee members asked about the cause of the 2024 no‑bid outcome and whether regional procurement or joint bidding with neighboring agencies might improve competitiveness. Staff said they have explored regional partnerships with Rodeo Sanitary District and others when opportunities arise and will look for future synergies. Multiple members requested a site tour; Binder said a plant tour would be welcomed and that the aeration basin switchover required about three months of staff work.

No new sewer connections were reported for Pinole at this meeting; staff said they will report connections at the next quarterly meeting.