Atwater says Castle sewer interceptor nearing completion; pump and metering will clarify county billing

Atwater staff told residents at the Feb. 21 budget workshop that the Castle Sewer Interceptor project is close to completion and the final pump, expected in April, will allow the city to meter flows and accurately bill the county for discharges to Atwater's wastewater system.

Residents had asked whether the county was paying its fair share for services at the Castle site. Staff said a consultant had produced an interim estimate and that the city has been billing the county for an increased amount as an interim measure. A participant in the meeting estimated that interim increases were "around $7,000 a month," and staff said they would follow up with an exact figure after metering is complete.

Staff explained that metering is necessary because the city must measure the actual sewage flow to calculate the incremental property-tax or utility revenue split for annexed areas. Until the pump and metering are operational, some interim payment methodology is being used.

City staff also clarified that the prison connection is billed under a separate arrangement because it has additional pump stations and greater infrastructure costs; the prison's flow was cited in the meeting at roughly 250,000 gallons per day, compared with the Castle estimate of around 40,000 gallons per day.

City leaders said the pump arrival in April should allow the project to be completed and provide the data necessary to finalize county billing and any back charges. Staff pledged to bring exact billing numbers and the consultant's interim calculations to a future meeting.