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Water quality official to Colfax: ‘There is no more time’ |
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Written by Don Chaddock
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Commodes adorned with messages relating to Colfax’s wastewater issues lined the back of the Sierra Vista Community Center in Colfax last week as a representative of the regional water quality board addressed the public and the City Council. Photo by Don Chaddock.
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The clock is ticking for a foothills town struggling to meet its financial obligations and last week the regional water board did not bring good news.
Pamela Creedon, the Executive Officer of the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, addressed the residents and City Council of Colfax last Tuesday evening regarding wastewater and the town’s treatment plant.
The city is under a “cease and desist” order related to
operations at its new wastewater treatment facility and has been fined
$350,000. Creedon said her agency is gearing up to fine the city
another $351,000 if they do not make the upgrades to their plant.
Because Colfax has fewer than 10,000 residents, the fines can be
applied to projects that make the city compliant – such as finishing
construction of the new sewer plant.
“I’ve been involved with this case since 2006, but our agency has been involved with Colfax since 1978, and it’s really been going on since 1972,” Creedon said.
“My message is not filled with roses and good things,” she said. “I asked for more time for Colfax and my board told me there is no more time.”
Wastewater treatment has been a hot button topic in Colfax as the city proposed hiking sewer fees a few months ago to pay for the upgrades to the plant. That proposal was struck down by the residents with more than half of the rate payers voting “no” on the hike.
“This isn’t the only city facing these problems,” said Creedon. “This is my third City Council meeting in two weeks.”
Creedon also read a letter to the City Council and residents written by the state water board.
“If the city doesn’t repay its loan ... the state water board will use all its resources to secure repayment,” Creedon read aloud.
She also addressed recent grumblings that the city should dis-incorporate and be absorbed by the county. She said the loan the city received from the state to help construct the plant cannot be forgiven.
“A rate increase was defeated ... but that doesn’t alleviate the obligations. Whether you are incorporated or not, it doesn’t waive the liability of the loan or the requirements for water quality,” Creedon said. “We need compliance. At some point, we have to step up and use stronger enforcement.”
Mike Walker, a Colfax resident, took issue with the tone of the letter Creedon presented on behalf of the state water board.
“The letter you read was threatening,” Walker said. “What’s going on right now is tearing this city apart. If we weren’t a city, then they’d have to deal with the county.”
Resident Jenny Livingston asked if the state was going to offer any financial assistance to meet the requirements.
“Short answer? No,” Creedon said. “We do not provide money to large or small communities other than ... loans.”
“If you aren’t going to compensate us, then you are going to have huge foreclosures and then buildings will be sitting there (vacant) with no one paying anything,” Livingston said. “You are going to have a ghost town here.”
Creedon also pushed for Lincoln’s regional wastewater plant as an option.
“For small communities, your best bet is to join regional treatment,” she said.
Kathy West, a resident, said she was proud to have been one of the rate payers to help vote down the sewer increase.
“We have spoke (and) we have defeated our sewer rate increase,” West said. “For nine years we’ve been promised this (sewer) plant. I want clarification that it isn’t the regional board setting the rates.”
“We do review the revenue plan, which includes (the) mechanisms they choose to pay back the loan,” Creedon said. “But, we do not set the rates.”
Resident Will Stockman asked Creedon if the city would be able to use the water once it’s treated.
“Assuming the solid gold sewer plant we’re building performs as advertised, is there anything preventing us from selling the water?” Stockman asked.
“Excellent question,” Creedon said. “We encourage reuse and reclamation. I tell communities to think of it as a resource rather than waste.”
She said her agency would not be involved with those efforts.
The Colfax City Council is slated to meet again on Tuesday, Aug. 26. They will hear a presentation by Kristina Berry of Placer’s Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) about the steps required to dis-incorporate the city government, which is an action some residents are pushing.
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