FROM:
Engineering
SUBJECT:
City of Fontana Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP) 2025
Title
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Adopt Resolution No. 2025-012 approving the City of Fontana 2025 Sewer System Management Plan.
End
COUCIL GOALS:
• To invest in the city's infrastructure (streets, sewers, parks, etc.) by maintaining and improving the city's existing infrastructure.
• To invest in the city's infrastructure (streets, sewers, parks, etc.) by providing for the development of new infrastructure
DISCUSSION:
On December 6, 2022, the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) adopted Water Quality Order No. 2022-0103-DWQ, which superseded Water Quality Order No. 2006-0003-DWQ requiring all public agencies that own sanitary sewer collection systems greater than one mile in length to comply with the Statewide General Waste Discharge Requirements (WDRs) for Sanitary Sewer Systems. These WDRs are the regulatory mechanism for agencies that own or operate sanitary sewer collection systems that collect and/or convey untreated or partially treated wastewater to a publicly owned treatment facility. The goal of the WDRs is to prevent sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) and eliminate discharges of sewage to waters of the State by requiring cities to properly operate, maintain, and manage their wastewater collection system.
There are three major components to the WDRs, namely that agencies affected by the regulations must:
1. Prohibit and Report SSOs to the SWRCB;
2. Develop and implement a system specific SSMP; and
3. Update and certify the SSMP, no less frequently than every six years
The City’s Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP) has been previously certified by the City Council on December 9, 2009, through Resolution No. 2009-103. The SSMP is currently out of date. The SSMP is a written document that details how the City’s sewer system is operated, maintained, repaired, and funded. It sets forth goals and actions to be followed, and guidelines for various activities related to managing, operating, maintaining, and expanding the sewer system. It also outlines how to minimize the occurrence of SSOs and how to properly respond to SSOs when they occur, including SWRCB reporting requirements that must be followed.
Finally, the SSMP must be periodically audited for effectiveness, no less frequently than every three years. The SWRCB requires that the SSMP be certified by an entity’s governing board at a public meeting. The reasoning behind this requirement is to ensure the governing board is aware of the SSMP, possible impacts to sewer-related ordinances, and its potential fiscal impacts related to the Sewer Master Plan and associated capital improvement projects.
CEQA:
City staff has determined that approval of the SSMP is exempt from environmental review pursuant to CEQA because it is not a “project” as defined in section 15378(b)(4) of the California Code of Regulations, which provides that a project for purposes of CEQA does not include “the creation of government funding mechanisms or other government fiscal activities, which do not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment”.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact associated at this time; however, funding of future audits and updates to the SSMP will be required.
MOTION:
Adopt Resolution No. 2025-012 approving the City of Fontana 2025 Sewer System Management Plan.