San Andreas to Improve Plant Using Stimulus Funds
On June 18, the San Andreas Sanitary (Calif.) District (SASD) broke ground on improvements to the wastewater treatment plant that will enhance water quality in the North Fork of the Calaveras River, according to a press release.
The project qualified to receive money from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), which was in turn funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). SASD is one of the first agencies in the state to receive this funding. These improvements will not only bring the district's wastewater treatment plant into compliance with state regulations and create an estimated 30 jobs in the community but will be primarily funded by a federal grant.
The cost for the required improvements is $10.5 million, which would have been underwritten by the ratepayers. The grant package will provide $5.8 million in cash and $4.7 million in a 30-year, 1 percent interest loan. Rocklin-based ECO:LOGIC Engineering planned and designed the improvements and worked with District Manager Steve Schimp to secure the grant package.
"The Board and Manager Steve Schimp have done everything right throughout this very complex process, and it is fitting that a well-run operation be rewarded with a significant grant," said David Bennett, chief executive officer of ECO:LOGIC Engineering.
The San Andreas Wastewater Treatment Plant project was eligible to apply for the CWSRF funds because it is a publicly owned treatment facility in need of regulatory upgrades. To secure the funds, the district obtained "priority status" through the Financial Assistance Application Submittal Tool (FAAST) and later submitted a Financial Assistance Application and Project Report, federal and state environmental compliance documents, credit/legal documents, and a water conservation plan.
ECO:LOGIC Engineering was hired to plan and design the improvements, which will include a new influent pump station, aeration basins, blower building, secondary clarifier, return activated sludge pump station, scum pump station, tertiary flocculation, filtration and chemical augmentation facilities, and improved disinfection facilities. The project also includes standby power and all the associated site improvements required for a complete facility.
The improvements will be constructed by Auburn Constructors and are expected to be completed by June 2010.