Unidentified Speaker, a city presenter, said Calistoga will invest more than $73 million over the next decade to upgrade aging water and wastewater infrastructure and meet state-mandated improvements.

"The system that serves us has many complex parts, many of which are aging," Unidentified Speaker said, describing components that are "nearly a century old and are operating well past their service lives." The presenter warned that without continued investment "aging pipes, tanks and facilities can fail, causing service disruptions, higher long term costs and increased risk to public health, safety, and the reliability of water supplies."

City staff outlined the scope of the systems that must be maintained and replaced: two treatment plants, multiple sewer lift stations, a dam and reservoir, about 20 miles of sewer collection lines, more than 40 miles of water mains and pump stations, and roughly six miles of recycled-water distribution and pumping systems. The presentation noted that about 70% of the city's water travels more than 65 miles to reach Calistoga.

Officials framed the upgrades as both safety- and regulation-driven. Examples cited include dam work on an 85-year-old facility — replacing the original intake tower and an inoperable drain valve, and raising and hardening the dam and spillway — state-mandated wastewater treatment-plant projects, relocating a water pump station out of the floodway and rebuilding it, replacing aging water and sewer pipelines, and improving water quality through advanced filtration.

The presenter highlighted the city's limited ratepayer base: about 1,600 water customers and 1,300 sewer customers share the costs of operation, maintenance and replacement. The city estimates those costs will exceed $10,000,000 in 2026. To lower the per-customer burden, staff said the city is pursuing grants, low-interest state loans and potential bond options; the presentation noted about $20,000,000 in recent federal and state funding secured in recent years.

City staff said the investments are intended to reduce service disruptions and produce more stable, predictable rates over time. No formal vote or policy decision was recorded in the presentation; staff described plans and funding strategies and indicated continued pursuit of outside financing and grant opportunities.