HomeMy WebLinkAboutOCSD 11-11 (POLICY)RESOLUTION NO. OCSD 11-11
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF
ORANGE COUNTY SANITATION DISTRICT ADOPTING A
POLICY REGARDING THE TRANSFER OF LOCAL SEWERS
WHEREAS, the core function of the Orange County Sanitation District ("Sanitation
District") is to treat and dispose of wastewater generated within its jurisdiction, a 463-square-
mile area of central and northwest Orange County. The Sanitation District operates a regional
network of trunk sewers that delivers the area's wastewater to the Sanitation District's treatment
and disposal facilities. A "trunk sewer" is a sewer that receives wastewater from many tributary
sewers over a large area. Cities, sanitary districts, and one water district within the Sanitation
District's jurisdiction operate local networks of tributary sewers that convey wastewater from
individual properties to the Sanitation District's regional collection system; and
WHEREAS, over the years the Sanitation District and/or its predecessor agencies have,
for a variety of site-specific reasons, acquired and operated certain local sewer facilities. Today,
the Sanitation District owns and operates approximately 176 miles of local sewers, which
represents about 3% of the local sewers within the Sanitation District's service area. The
remaining ninety-seven percent (97%) of the local sewers within the Sanitation District are
owned and operated by cities, sanitary districts, and one water district; and
WHEREAS, in the interest of efficiency, the Sanitation District should focus its
resources on the regional network of trunk sewers, and leave operation of local sewers to the
cities, sanitary districts, and the water district. The Sanitation District should own and operate
local sewers only in exceptional situations, such as when no qualified provider of local sewer
service is available; and
WHEREAS, one of the goals set forth in the Sanitation District's current Five Year
Strategic Plan is to transfer to cities and sanitary districts all "local sewer assets that are not
serving a true regional purpose" by Fiscal Year 2012-2013.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Board of Directors of the Orange County Sanitation District
does hereby resolve, determine, and order as follows:
Section 1: Sanitation District staff shall work with cities and sanitary districts to transfer all
local sewer facilities to the appropriate city or sanitary district.
Section 2: For purposes of this Resolution, the term "local sewer facilities" generally
includes, but is not necessarily limited to, the following:
• Sewers that connect directly to parcels and/or private sewer laterals;
• Tributary sewers that feed into the Sanitation District's regional trunk sewers;
• Any sewer for which a city or sanitary district charges a user fee to operate or maintain.
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For purposes of this Resolution, the term "local sewer facilities" generally does not include trunk
sewers that collect and convey wastewater from two or more jurisdictions to one of the
Sanitation District's two wastewater treatment plants.
Section 3: In those exceptional cases where the Sanitation District deems it necessary to own
and operate a local sewer, the Sanitation District should, where feasible, recover the costs of
constructing, operating, and/or maintaining the local sewer through a user fee imposed on those
users who benefit from the local sewer.
PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting held July 27,2011.
ATTEST:
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Clerk ~f the BO r
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