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Atascadero council endorses task force recommendations and authorizes design phase for new wastewater plant
Summary
The City Council received a task force report urging city ownership of wastewater operations and cost‑sharing partnerships, reviewed a multi‑hundred‑million‑dollar estimate for plant and collection upgrades, and unanimously authorized Phase 1 design work with Black & Veatch to narrow costs and select a treatment process.
Council members on Tuesday reviewed the City Manager's Wastewater Task Force report and authorized the first phase of design work for a new wastewater treatment plant.
City Manager James R Lewis said the task force — made up of residents, business owners and water experts — recommended the city continue to own and operate the treatment plant while pursuing partnerships and additional funding. Lewis told the council, “I can tell you that the wastewater plant will not be 40,000,000, and it certainly wouldn't be 250,000,000,” and said design work is needed to refine size and cost estimates.
Deputy Public Works Director Ryan Hayes reviewed system capacity and drivers for a new plant. Staff told the council the plant currently operates near its permitted average daily flow (about 1,400,000 gallons per day), and that regulatory changes in the 2020 permit (notably new nitrogen limits) make retrofitting the existing lagoon system impractical. Hayes presented a 10‑year program estimate that staff described as an illustrative planning figure: roughly $130 million for a new treatment facility, plus a separate estimate for collection‑system improvements.
The task force endorsed several principles for staff and council to follow: retain public ownership of the plant, pursue regional partnerships to share fixed costs (the Atascadero State Hospital was discussed as a potential partner), commission a volumetric user classification and rate study, and rigorously review regional water board salt‑treatment requirements and underlying science before committing to expensive salt‑removal technologies.
Council members pressed staff on timing, operating costs and the effect on ratepayers. Staff said a modern secondary treatment plant will likely be more staff‑ and energy‑intensive than the current lagoon system and could increase operations and maintenance costs; those estimates will be refined during process selection and preliminary design. Staff also described an upcoming inflow and infiltration (I&I) monitoring program to identify opportunities to restore capacity by reducing storm and groundwater inflows into the collection system.
On the procurement side, staff recommended and the council approved awarding a professional services agreement to Black & Veatch for phased design services. The agreement is structured into four phases (process selection; preliminary design; detailed design; and bid/construction support) with council authorization requested only for Phase 1 at this time. Council member Funk moved to award the agreement and authorize Phase 1; Council member Peake seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
Next steps: if authorized, Phase 1 will refine treatment‑process options and produce a narrower probable construction cost. Staff also plans to continue public engagement, begin the user classification study to inform rate policy, pursue grants and negotiate potential participation with other agencies. Council members emphasized that cost‑sharing, pushing back on unnecessary regulatory requirements and accurate sizing are priorities before committing to construction.
