Greenfield officials: wastewater plant near capacity; state funding uncertain, rates likely to rise

At the May 27 Greenfield City Council meeting, city staff briefed the council on the status of the Greenfield Wastewater Treatment Plant and said the plant will need phased expansion and new rate revenue if state funding does not materialize.

Luis, a city utilities staff member, said the city adopted a wastewater treatment master plan in 2021 evaluating membrane bioreactor technology as an alternative to an oxidation ditch. “The state of California then came back and informed us that they did not have the money available,” Luis said, describing an earlier expectation that the state would cover most costs. He told the council the city spent about $4 million to make the project shovel-ready and later applied for a $15…