Corona council told biosolids hauling will continue as city pursues repair, insurance settlement

City staff told the Corona City Council that the hauling of biosolids from the city’s wastewater treatment plant will continue even after the plant’s dryer is rebuilt, and that rebuilding costs may far exceed the insurance company’s repair offer.

Council member Tony Daddario and other members pressed staff on whether hauling would stop once the dryer is repaired. Tom Moody, the city’s utilities director, replied that hauling is an ongoing need at the plant: “One of the byproducts of a wastewater treatment plant is biosolids. Whether they’re wet or dry, we still need to remove them from the facility.” He explained the scale: a plant of Corona’s size produces about 100 wet tons per day — roughly five trailers a day — but with a functioning dryer the amount falls to about 60 tons per week, or three trailers per week.

The council was also told the city had rejected an initial offer from its insurer and is pursuing design‑build pricing to demonstrate a realistic rebuild cost. A staff member identified as Mary said contractors would not bid to repair the dryer because of perceived liability and that rebuilding could cost “anywhere from 20 to 35,000,000 to build a new one,” compared with “whatever $5,000,000, 7 million dollars to repair it” that had been discussed earlier. Mary added that the city is tracking increased hauling costs as part of damages for a potential claim.

Why it matters: hauling biosolids offsite increases truck traffic and operating costs and can affect the municipal budget. Council members sought clarity on where the biosolids are shipped and why local options are unavailable. Moody said California rules have tightened, pushing destinations farther away; staff said biosolids have been taken out of state to facilities in Northern California, Arizona and Nevada because of regulatory limits.

More details: Moody explained the moisture content difference staff contend with: wet biosolids are about 80% water, while dried biosolids are roughly 5% water. Council members asked whether the city could pay now to fix the dryer and seek insurance reimbursement later; staff said insurers are keeping their offer limited to repair costs and that proceeding to build without a settlement could require tens of millions in city outlay before any insurance recovery. Staff said they plan to go to design‑build to get firm numbers to present to the carrier.

Council action: The council approved the consent/agenda motion related to the item and the record shows the item moved forward by council motion and passed by the council. Staff said they will return with design‑build cost estimates and will track hauling costs as part of the claim.