SAM staff says Princeton pump station nearly overflowed during December storms; portable pump and other measures planned

Tim, speaking during the manager's report, told directors that wind gusts and prolonged rain in late December produced unusually high inflows to the wastewater system. Tim said average dry‑weather flow at the Princeton Pump Station is about 100,000 gallons per day but that the station saw roughly 500,000 gallons during the second storm.

"We were about 2 feet from overflowing the pump station," Tim said, describing how high groundwater and sustained inflows pushed the station close to its wet‑weather limit. Staff used the Walker tank to supplement storage and moved flows to other facilities where possible. Tim said the district added a bypass hookup at the Princeton station and will test a 6‑inch portable pump that is expected to arrive Wednesday to provide standby pumping capacity.

Directors and staff discussed pump horsepower and hydraulic resistance; Tim said older pumps were 75 horsepower and cycled, while the newer 35‑horsepower pumps run longer but draw less power. Board members asked staff to evaluate check‑signing timing and vendor payment windows if meeting schedules change.

The presentation identified operational responses taken during the storms (24‑hour coverage, staff rotation to avoid fatigue, tree removals and coordination with PG&E) and a short list of follow‑ups including testing the portable pump and confirming downstream piping capacity for increased throughput. No regulatory enforcement action or overflow event was reported in the meeting record.