Avalon officials will be looking at the sewer lines attached to private property. If the city finds a problem, the property owners will have to pay for repairs.
The City Council on Tuesday, May 21, introduced and unanimously approved an ordinance regulating lateral sewer lines and grease discharges into the city’s sewer system. It was one of three sewer-related items on the agenda Tuesday night.
Avalon officials will be looking at the sewer lines attached to private property. If the city finds a problem, the property owners will have to pay for repairs.
The City Council on Tuesday, May 21, introduced and unanimously approved an ordinance regulating lateral sewer lines and grease discharges into the city’s sewer system. It was one of three sewer-related items on the agenda Tuesday night.
The new ordinance adds two new sections to the Municipal Code. City Attorney Scott Campbell said the ordinance was required by the cease and desist order from the California Regional Water Quality Control Board. The order has compelled Avalon to upgrade its sewer system in order to improve the quality of the water in the bay.
Campbell said the state could take over Avalon’s sewer system if the ordinance was not adopted.
According to Campbell, the new ordinance establishes an inspection program for the laterals that connect private properties to the city’s sewer system. The city could require owners to fix laterals that need repair and would also require owners to inspect the laterals before selling their properties.
The ordinance also update’s the city code to keep grease from food service businesses out of sewer lines.
“New food service establishments must install grease interceptors prior to discharging waste water to the sanitary sewer,” Campbell wrote in his staff report to the council.
Campbell told the council that the state water board was most concerned with the grease discharge issue.
Council Member Ralph Morrow said his home is one of five on a lateral. Replacing that sewer line would be very expensive for homeowners.
Campbell said the city could agree to allow gradual payments to cover the cost. He also said staff was investigating the availability of grant funds for repairing sewer laterals, but property owners were responsible for maintaining the lines.
As to the grease traps, existing restaurants have three years to upgrade their systems.
That same night, the council authorized Interim City Manager Denise Radde to perform more smoke testing of private sewers and laterals.
According to the staff report, the Public Works Department has identified several sewer lines that require testing. Some of those lines are privately owned. The city had budgeted money for a company called RBF to inspect 8,400 linear feet of sewer lines. However, RBF identified another 4,100 linear feet of sewer mains that need to be looked at.
The request required Avalon to budget another $18,000 for the work.
Radde said when the work is done, the city will bill property owners to get the money back.
The additional sewer smoke testing was a consent calendar item and was passed unanimously without discussion by the council.
Finally, the council accepted a maintenance plan for the Avalon sewer system. Avalon’s Sewer System Management Plan requires Environ Strategy, the company that operates the sewer system of Avalon, to prepare an annual plan.
The state water board’s cease and desist order gave Avalon until June 30 to update and re-certify the operation and maintenance element of the sewer management plan.
Like the sewer testing approval, the annual preventative maintenance plan was approved unanimously by the council as part of the consent calendar.
