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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 10251988 - 2.3 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FROM: PHIL BATCHELOR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR DATE: OCTOBER 25, 1988 SUBJECT: MARSH CREEK DETENTION FACILITY REPORT ON WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY Specific Request(s) or Recommendations(s) & Background & Justification RECONNUMATION 1. ACCEPT report from County Administrator describing the status of the Marsh Creek Detention Facility's wastewater treatment project and interim measures planned to keep the existing system operational. 2. DIRECT County Administrator and Community Development Department to begin California Environmental Quality Act process on the wastewater treatment facility project and report to Board of Supervisors on the results of the scoping process. 1. BACKGROUND The Marsh Creek Detention Facility is currently served by two septic tanks and leach fields. The oldest system was originally built in 1943 and has been repaired and expanded several times since, the most recent expansion occurring earlier this year. The second system was built in 1978 and exclusively serves the food service building. Last winter, the older and larger leach field failed resulting in surface ponding of effluent. The County took emergency measures, which included digging an overflow sump and implementing a water conservation program. In reaction to worsening jail crowding and the sanitary system failure, the Board declared an emergency on March 1, 1988 and directed the CAO to ". . . construct, repair and improve appurtenant facilities and utilities necessary to support the housing. . .". During the spring, the County's consulting engineer studied various alternative replacement wastewater treatment facilities, resulting in the selection and design of a new system consisting of aerated treatment lagoons and percolation/evaporation ponds. On August 24, the County's construction contractor, Pacific Mechanical Corporation, was authorized to proceed with construction. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES Signature: , n Taj-A,_�Yko Recommendation of County Administrator Recommendation of Board Committee Approve Other Signature(s): Action of Board on: 10/25/88 Approved as Recommended x Other Vote of Supervisors: I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN X Unanimous (Absent ) AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE Ayes: Noes: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON DATE SHOWN. Absent: Abstain: � � Attested: A�trit� m /98p cc: CAO, Justice System Programs Phil Batchelor, Clerk of CAO the Board of Supervisors County Counsel and County Administrator Sheriff-Coroner J Director, General Services By: DEPUTY Community Development Dept. Soon after earth moving activities began, residents in the area voiced their opposition to the project. Two public meetings were held on September 8 and 19 to describe the project and discuss the community's concerns and opposition. On September 15, a group of area homeowners filed a petition for writ of mandate to halt construction pending a hearing. On September 16, the Court issued a temporary restraining order and scheduled a hearing on September 27. At that hearing, Judge Phelan ruled that the project was not exempted from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), since no emergency existed at the time the Board took action on March 1, 1988. As a result the County is unable to proceed with constructing an above-ground wastewater treatment facility until full compliance with CEQA has been met. Since that decision, and with the Court's permission, the Contractor has secured the construction area and stabilized it for winter rain conditions. 2. PROPOSED WASTEWATER TREATWNT FACILITY In compliance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act, County staff is preparing to hold a public scoping meeting. At this meeting, the four alternatives originally considered will be presented. Additional alternatives, or variations to the alternatives presented, will be sought from the audience along with a listing of their environmental concerns. Public input shall be sought and follow-up engineering studies will be prepared before the proposed action is presented to the Board for approval prior to proceeding with the Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The EIR will include a discussion of the identified alternative solutions, including the potential impact of each. 3. REPAIR, ALTERATION AND OPERATION OF EXISTING SYSTEM Since last winter's failure of one of Marsh Creek's leach fields, the County has made system repairs and modified some operating practices. Also, the inmate population has not increased. Given normal winter rain conditions, staff believes system failure will occur this winter if no further changes are made. Since the Marsh Creek Detention Facility must rely on the existing system for one more winter, the following mitigation measures have been identified and action is being taken to implement them: Operational/Maintenance Measures ♦ Discontinue grinding of food material in kitchen; haul to landfill. ♦ Restrict water use in kitchen. ♦ Postpone installation of washing machines. ♦ Restrict water use in dormitories. Pump and haul sludge from septic tanks on a regular basis. ♦ Rotate kitchen disposal fields for kitchen on a regular basis. ♦ Inspect, clean' and repair leach field laterals. ♦ Clean leach field piping and laterals with hydro vactor. Alterations ♦ Install drainage ditches to divert hillside runoff away from each leach field. ♦ Build overflow containment berms at both leach fields. ♦ Build overflow sump at both leach fields. Size for one-half day's flow. Line sump with liner and cover. ♦ Build temporary pump station or improve road at dormitory septic tank. ♦ Provide pumping and piping from sumps and septic tanks to a temporary covered sewage holding pit constructed in a location accessible to pumping trucks. ♦ Modify and extend existing sewer system to connect with the kitchen septic tank and temporary holding pit. ♦ Should all systems fail, wastewater could be hauled from the overflow sumps or holding pits to a municipal wastewater treatment plant. The extent of the alterations will depend on the effectiveness of the operational and maintenance measures and the severity of winter weather. Contracting for these repairs and alterations is authorized by the March 1, 1988 emergency Board Order. This work was not affected by the Court's decision relative to constructing an above-ground wastewater treatment facility.