Pleasanton public works reports zero sanitary sewer overflows in 2025, outlines water, sewer and stormwater plans

Pleasanton's Public Works Department told the City Council on Jan. 20 that the city had zero sanitary sewer overflows in 2025 and is advancing multi-year plans to meet rising state regulatory requirements for water, sewer and stormwater.

Public Works Director Soo Jin Yong and staff summarized work on the water system management plan, the sewer system management plan and a developing stormwater management plan. Yong noted the city issued a $19,000,000 water bond in 2024 at 4.11% interest; staff has delivered about $13,700,000 of water CIP projects to date with roughly $5,300,000 remaining to finish by June 2027.

Sewer work: staff said the city's sewer inspection program is about 30% complete and credited routine CCTV inspection for identifying a serious condition on Denker Drive. According to staff, what began as an apparent small collapse revealed roughly 300 feet of corroded pipe; an emergency contract repaired the line before failure, preventing service disruption and potential environmental impact. Staff emphasized that as the inspection program matures, proactive repairs should reduce emergency work.

Regulation and rates: the presentation listed nine water regulatory areas that require implementation, including PFAS monitoring and management, water-loss control, lead and copper rules, and the AB 15 72 non-functional turf restriction. Staff said a water-rate adjustment took effect Jan. 1, 2026, and a separate sewer rate study and cost-of-service analysis will be presented to council in February with the goal of starting new sewer rates Jan. 1, 2027. For stormwater, staff said the city lacks a dedicated enterprise fund and is conducting a stormwater management plan targeted for completion in 2028 and intends to seek revenue sources in 2029.

Council questions focused on details such as the city's role as a large water purchaser (staff said they would provide specific usage numbers), how water-loss programs are implemented, and whether CCTV inspection data from prior years are available and integrated into asset-management prioritization. Staff answered that legacy data exists and is being processed through a SOAR/AI workflow to rank pipe priorities for repair and CIP programming.

Quote: "This is a clear example of why routine inspection and proactive maintenance are so critical," the public works presentation stated describing the Denker Drive repair.

Next steps: staff plans to bring a sewer financial plan in February, continue water and sewer rate discussions, complete stormwater planning by 2028 and seek funding options beginning in 2029. Council members praised staff for the compliance work and emphasized continued coordination across water, sewer and stormwater programs.