Sewer project update draws repeated pleas from residents for phased, local treatment options

Town engineer Mark Maddox presented the council with a monthly update on the Paradise Sewer Project, describing revised plans for a hybrid collection system with gravity trunk lines, step connections and a membrane‑bioreactor (MBR) wastewater treatment facility requiring a surface water discharge permit. Maddox said field surveys, lateral connection workshops and an ongoing environmental impact report (EIR) are under way and that coordination with the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board will follow as treatment site options are evaluated.

Multiple residents used the public comment period to urge caution and additional review. Alma Grant said her group completed a "deep dive of factual history" of the project and provided that record to the town. Melissa Schuster said critics are not opposed to sewers but want a system suited to Paradise’s current and future needs; she asked the council for a side‑by‑side comparison of final options before committing to a single design. Cliff Jacobson said calculations in a recent consultant slide were incorrect and described a technical review indicating ordinary off‑the‑shelf pumps could handle step system pressures.

Maddox said staff will continue site analysis, preliminary design and EIR work; he described expected milestones and reiterated that the EIR is forecast for release early next year. He also outlined contract closeout, retention release procedures and the town’s one‑year warranty monitoring for capital projects.

Councilmembers and members of the public pressed for more time to review technical records and for staff to consider phased or local treatment alternatives. No formal action or new direction was taken during the item; staff will proceed with the planned EIR and design tasks and will incorporate public submittals into the project record.