Fairfield‑Suisun Sewer District requires valley‑wide feasibility study before approving out‑of‑area connections; supervisors seek stakeholder town hall and SALT

The Fairfield‑Suisun Sewer District has asked Solano County to commission a comprehensive sewer feasibility study covering the Suisun Valley service area before the district will approve any out‑of‑agency connections, county staff told the Board of Supervisors.

Why the study: District managers said a piecemeal approval (allowing a single parcel or isolated project to connect) risks building undersized infrastructure that would need replacement or repeated trenching when other nearby properties later seek hookups. The district said state law currently restricts its authority to the city limits, and any change would require review of governance and financing, potentially via LAFCO or legislative action.

Local context and immediate impact Two pending requests for sewer connections — one tied to a 60‑unit proposal (Wood Creek 60) and a second involving a failing septic system at Rockville Road — have been placed on hold pending the broader feasibility work. County staff said the district would not allow connections for either project until a study examines capacity, legal authority, preliminary cost estimates and priority focus areas.

Board and public reaction County supervisors and local stakeholders challenged the timing and outreach. Several supervisors, notably Supervisor Williams, said the board previously directed staff to “bifurcate” review for specific projects and to engage stakeholders first; they said a study requirement from the district effectively reverses that approach. Farm groups and the Suisun Valley Vintners & Growers Association urged the board to delay a county-funded study and instead use the Salt (Sustainable Agricultural Lands and Transportation) grant infrastructure work already under way — a process that includes an infrastructure subcommittee and a stakeholder meeting scheduled for September.

The sewer district’s case General Manager George Demiral of the Fairfield‑Suisun Sewer District said the district’s enabling statute generally prohibits sewer service outside its jurisdictional boundary and that any change should be planned comprehensively. He said the district wants to avoid repeatedly installing or replacing pipes, pump stations and other facilities piecemeal and prefers a planning-level analysis that sizes infrastructure to the 50‑to‑100‑year life of sewer systems.

Stakeholder concerns Growers and vintners told supervisors they oppose blanket extension of municipal sewer service into Suisun Valley and favor on‑site or small package treatment systems where appropriate. Several representatives asked the board to use the county’s SALT grant process and the forthcoming infrastructure subcommittee meeting to gather the valley’s stakeholders and to return to the board with a consolidated recommendation.

Board direction After public comment and discussion, board members directed staff to coordinate with the sewer district and use the county’s SALT‑grant infrastructure process as a venue for stakeholder engagement. Supervisors also asked county staff to work with the district on a scope of work for a potential technical study and to hold a local town‑hall meeting before the SALT infrastructure presentation so valley stakeholders can present local concerns directly to the committee. Staff will return to the board after SALT and the town hall with a recommended scope, financing options and a proposed governance path.

Ending: The board did not approve a study appropriation on the spot; instead it asked staff to pursue a stakeholder‑informed approach through the SALT infrastructure process and to bring a scoped proposal and financing options back to the board.