Faced with tough new state and federal wastewater standards, Placer County is planning to build either a new treatment plant or a 12-mile pipeline to Lincoln.
Either plan would be costly. Officials said some 4,800 homeowners in North Auburn and Bowman will see sewer fees jump from about $68 a month to about $118 or $150, depending on which project is selected.
The county launched a broad education and outreach campaign Friday to find out if residents would prefer to pay for the plant or the pipeline.
Placer really has no other option, said Will Dickinson, deputy director of the county Facilities Services Department. Failure to meet the new wastewater standards would spur fines and penalties costing more than either project.
A new plant, if built on the site of the existing wastewater treatment facility on Joeger Road, would cost about $87 million, Dickinson said. The price tag would mean monthly bills of about $118 for homeowners in the county's Sewer Maintenance District No. 1.
Businesses and multiresidential properties pay higher bills, based on units of service. An interim rate increase is expected July 1, with more jumps as the project moves along.
A 12-mile pipeline, from the Joeger Road plant to a treatment site near Sierra College Boulevard and Highway 193 in Lincoln, would cost about $141 million. The plan would push homeowners' monthly rates to about $150.
A new plant would cost less initially, but could spur larger rate increases in the future. Dickinson said a new plant likely would cost less for at least 20 years.
But the more costly pipeline option could be less expensive in the long run, he said.
A new plant would need to be expandable to meet future demands and even more stringent state and federal standards. If the county opts for the pipeline, he said, "We want to put it in the ground as big as it ever needs to be."
To get residents' feedback on the options, officials plan:
• A workshop at 7 p.m. Nov. 17 in the Community Development Resource Agency building, 3091 County Center Drive, Auburn;
• A random telephone survey to be conducted late this month;
• An online survey at www.placer.ca.gov/ SewerDecision;
• Public comment forms at the same Web site or by calling (530) 889-6846.
Call The Bee's Bob Walter, (916) 773-7388.
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