Mostly positive review for facility, except for high nitrogen
levels in effluent
The San Benito Grand Jury’s latest report offered a relatively
glowing review of the Hollister Wastewater Treatment Plant, with
members saying they were impressed by its
”
state-of-the-art
”
operation while warning that continued high nitrogen levels in
its effluent could trigger punitive measures.
Mostly positive review for facility, except for high nitrogen levels in effluent
The San Benito Grand Jury’s latest report offered a relatively glowing review of the Hollister Wastewater Treatment Plant, with members saying they were impressed by its “state-of-the-art” operation while warning that continued high nitrogen levels in its effluent could trigger punitive measures.
The jury’s on-site inspection of the plant, located at 2690 San Juan Hollister Road, was done in response to a new, 10-year public/private partnership between Veolia Water West Operating Services and the City of Hollister.
The $100 million plant went into service in 2008, six years after the California Regional Water Quality Control Board imposed a building moratorium on Hollister after a failed berm led to 15 million gallons of treated sewage gushing into the San Benito River bed in May 2002.
The new treatment plant was deemed necessary to provide the additional capacity “for renewed community growth and economic revitalization,” the report stated.
The facility is designed to handle population growth through the year 2023, or a flow of 5 million gallons per day. It now handles approximately half that. It also is designed to treat wastewater to a higher standard to protect groundwater and allow it to be used for crop irrigation at some point in the future.
The Grand Jury noted that it conducted the on-site inspection in October 2010 “to collect and disseminate the information regarding the capabilities, limitations and benefits of the wastewater facility to the residents of San Benito County.” The jury reviewed plant operations, safety protocols and procedures and looked into the economic and environmental impacts of the plant.
“In many respects,” the reported noted, “the on-site inspection was a tutorial on the state-of-the-art in wastewater management.”
Technology makes it feasible for the facility to operate “with a minimal staff of highly trained and experienced operators,” the jury reported, adding that there were no safety violations or incident reports at the facility in 2010.
“This is a testament to the emphasis placed on safety and the technology deployed at the facility,” the report said.
Hollister’s decision to contract with Veolia Water North America for operation and maintenance of the treatment plant for $688,000 per year – plus cost-of-living adjustments – “keeps funding, capital and policy decisions in the hands of local officials,” the Grand Jury said.
The report said the jury was impressed with Veolia’s “commitment to safety and their record of compliance with state and federal regulations,” though it did call a high curb near the entrance to the facility “an accident waiting to happen.”
The Grand Jury called on Veolia and the city’s public works division to create a formal risk mitigation plan to reduce the level of nitrogen in the effluent produced at the plant.
While the regional water quality control board has taken no action against the city despite higher than desired nitrogen levels, “at some point, non-compliance may trigger punitive measures.” The water board has set a limit of 5 milligrams of total nitrogen per liter in an effort to improve water quality. The 12-month average reported locally in 2010 was 6.5 milligrams per liter.
Veolia is working to improve its processes to reach the desired nitrogen limit, the Grand Jury reported, and is “working closely” with the regional water board to bring the plant within compliance.
The total nitrogen limit has been anticipated since 2005, the jury noted, so the lack of compliance won’t be forgiven forever.
“In extreme cases, operators can face civil and criminal penalties if they distribute water that does not meet wastewater standards,” the report said, acknowledging that while “this scenario is unlikely,” a formal risk mitigation plan “may help avoid any future escalation by the Regional Board.”
In the comments section of its report, the Grand Jury noted that Hollister’s monthly sewer rates and connection fees are “especially high” due to the requirement that none of the treated wastewater be discharged into the San Benito River, which is upstream of the Monterey Bay estuary.
Despite the high costs now, the city has “already made the necessary investment” to increase capacity and improve wastewater quality, which “significantly improves” the return on investment over the expected 40-year operational life expectancy of the facility.
