Hollister
– The city’s wastewater improvement project, which has been in
the works for years, is close to becoming a reality. On Monday
night, the City Council will vote on two of the final measures
required before construction can begin – certifying the
Environmental Impact Report and approving a contrac
t with C.
Hollister – The city’s wastewater improvement project, which has been in the works for years, is close to becoming a reality. On Monday night, the City Council will vote on two of the final measures required before construction can begin – certifying the Environmental Impact Report and approving a contract with C. Overaa & Co. to start work on phase one, the construction of a new membrane bioreactor treatment facility, which would allow organic wastes to be biologically degraded by microorganisms.
Bids for phase one were opened on Oct. 16; city documents show that three companies bid for the project: C. Overaa, Kiewitt Pacific, and Monterey Mechanical. C. Overaa’s bid of around $57 million was the lowest; it was also $14 million less than the engineer’s estimate of $71.3 million.
“This is a milestone toward the lifting of the moratorium, which has been and continues to be the highest priority of the City of Hollister and its residents,” City Manager Clint Quilter said in a press release issued earlier this week. “We look forward to ending this difficult period in Hollister’s history.”
According to the press release, the company is nearly 100 years old and recently completed wastewater treatment projects in Tracy, Manteca, Benicia and Dublin/San Ramon.
The final Environmental Impact Report was presented to the City Council earlier this week; it showed that all of the project’s direct impacts could be mitigated. Once the report is certified, a 30-day appeals period must pass before construction can begin.
Councilman Doug Emerson said he doesn’t foresee “any difficulties whatsoever” in certifying the report or approving the contract.
“It’s been a long time coming,” he said. “A year ago, everything was touch and go. (The report) came out much better than anticipated, and so did the bids. I think that’s largely due to the county, the water district and the city finally realizing that we have a problem that we need to sit down and solve together.”
The Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board imposed a new sewer hook-up moratorium on the city in 2002, after 15 million gallons of treated sewage spilled into the San Benito River.
The city will have to float more than $100 million in bonds to pay for the project; funding for the project’s cost is anticipated to come from sewer rates and development impact fees. The City Council has drawn harsh criticism for its decision to increase sewer rates; Emerson said the city should be able to pass on its savings from the low bid on to ratepayers.
Two more phases are planned: a project to provide additional seasonal storage capacity, which the city plans to receive bids for in spring 2007, and a project to provide effluent disposal, which will be open for bids next fall.
Anthony Ha covers local government for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or [email protected].
