Water Supply and Wastewater Pilot Project

The North Coast Integrated Regional Water Management Planning (NCIRWMP) was recently awarded a $500,000 grant to work with small water supply and wastewater providers on the North Coast. The Pilot Project will work to continue the efforts and capacity of the Redwood Water Resources Network and use the RWRN framework to serve rural wastewater and water providers throughout the North Coast. An overarching goal is to develop projects to improve the North Coast’s infrastructure. Below is a description of the project and I’ve attached a couple of photos that represent North Coast water supply and wastewater facilities.

The NCIRWMP Regional Strategy for Small Disadvantaged Water and Wastewater Providers (WSWW) will coordinate with the NCIRWMP Policy Review Panel and Technical Peer Review Committee, local government agencies, special districts, tribal governments, and private/mutual water/wastewater companies involved in the provision of domestic water or wastewater services to develop a regional working group or up to three integrated working groups within the region. The working group(s) will be formed and dedicated to improving the capacity and quality of service of small water and wastewater services providers in the North Coast Region. NCIRWMP staff will form the working group(s) by identifying and reaching out to existing associations and individual small WSWW providers to coordinate working groups, build capacity, develop regional strategies, target funding opportunities and identify infrastructure improvement projects.

The North Coast region consists of nearly 200 wastewater treatment and water supply service providers, many which are impacted by inadequate infrastructure. Many of these facilities were built decades ago to serve much smaller communities and have not kept pace with population increases and technological advancements. These providers are often geographically isolated, serve communities that are economically disadvantaged, lack up to date resources and are under staffed, making infrastructure improvements difficult to finance. The approach addresses these challenges through the formation of regional working groups to increase communication, provide technical support, and share resources, experience and information, thereby gaining efficiencies of scope and scale. The support framework will enable these service providers the opportunity to meet regularly to exchange experience and information, pool resources such as qualified operators, specialized tools and equipment, and technical consultants, establish working groups, develop training programs, develop standardized procedures and programs for routine and occasional management duties, and act as a forum for regional coordination. As with other NCIRWMP initiatives and in keeping with one of the guiding principles of the NCIRWMP – to honor local autonomy and decision-making – this process will be voluntary and non-binding. In addition, the proposed initiative is not intended to act as or replace existing regulatory frameworks.

This regional strategy will support the North Coast’s efforts to address failing infrastructure in disadvantaged communities, would support the objectives of DWR’s California Water Plan, and would build on the SWRCB’s Small Community Wastewater Strategy, approved by the SWRCB in July 2008. This strategy will incorporate Proposition 84 Guidelines including integration of projects with multiple benefits, support and improvement of local and regional water supply reliability, contribution towards long-term attainment and maintenance of water quality standards, and the inclusion of safe drinking water and water quality projects in disadvantaged communities. It would include projects previously identified by the SWRCB as important for improved water quality and attainment of environmental justice goals (http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/grants_loans/).

This proposed initiative is a demonstration project expected to be exportable - the North Coast would develop models/strategies/templates that could be utilized by other waste water treatment and water supply providers in small, economically disadvantaged communities throughout California. A key objective is to develop an evaluation mechanism for this work and potential projects that would provide to DWR a variety of best practices, recommendations and lessons learned through the implementation of this pilot project.