Title
Update for City Council Rules Committee on Inflow & Infiltration Impacts on Water Pollution Control Operational Costs Related to a Private Sewer Lateral Ordinance
Staffreport
COUNCIL PRIORITY
* Infrastructure
SUMMARY
This is an update from the September 24, 2025 presentation to the City Council Rules Committee on Private Sewer Laterals. The information presented will give a high-level impact of rain or groundwater entering the City's sewer system (Inflow & Infiltration or I&I) on the City's sewer system and treatment plant, which is a primary driver for the City to consider implementing a Private Sewer Lateral Ordinance (PSLO).
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff request the Committee provide direction about whether to continue researching a PLSO ordinance and whether to commission a study to investigate the sources of the City's I&I and potential additional cost savings.
BACKGROUND
The City's Water Pollution Control Division maintains 125 miles of sanitary sewer lines within the City's service area. There are an estimated 14,000 connections to the City's sewer main. Private sewer laterals are the responsibility of property owners to maintain up to and including connections to the City's sewer main. Parts of the City are also serviced by Oro Loma Sanitary District (Oro Loma). Oro Loma has approved the implementation of a Private Sewer Lateral Ordinance and has an estimated program start date of July 1, 2026.
At the September 24, 2025 City Council Rules Committee meeting, staff were asked to provide the scope of the issues that a PSLO could potentially assist to mitigate, in particular potential cost savings to the Water Pollution Control Plant enterprise fund. Staff reviewed operational costs and estimated the quantity of I&I to estimate the total cost of this additional water.
Analysis
Staff first investigated the unit costs of processing water and estimated the quantity of water that is a result of I&I. This was used to estimate the total cost of ...
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