REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 10, 2025
FROM
NOEL CASTILLO, Director, Department of Public Works - Solid Waste Management
SUBJECT
Title
Amendment to Contract with Running Springs Water District for Treatment and Disposal of the Landfill Liquid Collected at the Heaps Peak Site
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Amendment No. 2 to Contract No. 15-151 with Running Springs Water District to allow the Department of Public Works - Solid Waste Management Division to treat and dispose of the landfill liquid collected at the Heaps Peak Disposal Site, on an as-needed basis, at the Running Springs Water District’s treatment plant, exercising the second of two options to extend the term by five years, from July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2030, with no change to the not to exceed amount of $750,000.
(Presenter: Noel Castillo, Director, 387-8040)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The Department of Public Works - Solid Waste Management Division (SWMD) is funded with fee revenue. SWMD establishes fees that are charged to the public and other agencies for utilization of the County’s Waste Disposal System. The County’s current landfill liquid disposal contract with the Running Springs Water District (District) expires on June 30, 2025. The cost of the contract is estimated at $750,000 over 10 years. Sufficient appropriation and revenue for these services has been included in the SWMD 2025-26 Recommended Budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
This item will exercise the second of two options to extend the term of Contract No. 15-151 (Contract) by five years in order for the District to continue to treat and dispose of landfill liquid (leachate) collected from Heaps Peak Disposal Site (HPDS) in the event that the on-site HPDS Leachate Treatment System (LTS) operation is compromised.
On April 7, 2015 (Item No. 42), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the Contract with the District for leachate treatment and disposal. It provided for an initial term of five years through June 30, 2020, in an amount not to exceed $750,000. The Contract allows each party the option to extend the term of the Contract, for two five-year periods following the expiration of the initial term.
On May 19, 2020 (Item 69), the Board approved Amendment No. 1 to the Contract to exercise the first five-year option to extend the term of Contract , for the total term of July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2025, with no change to the not to exceed amount of $750,000.
The recommended action will assist SWMD in fulfilling the County and Chief Executive Officer’s goals and objectives to operate in a fiscally responsible and business-like manner by ensuring that cost is minimized due to the close proximity of the District’s treatment facility to the HPDS LTS. The proximity also ensures that a timely response is available to respond to LTS shutdowns, allowing SWMD to comply with regulatory agencies and provide for the safety, health and social service needs of county residents. The District’s treatment plant is the closest and most convenient facility with the necessary infrastructure and as such, has historically been awarded this sole-source contract. This amendment will secure the most cost-effective method of alternative leachate disposal currently available to the SWMD.
The Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), under whose jurisdiction the HPDS resides, has issued Waste Discharge Requirements directing SWMD to collect and dispose of the leachate in a manner consistent with applicable regulations. The RWQCB has approved the District to accept the leachate for treatment and disposal. Leachate transport is conducted under a separate contract.
The RWQCB has reviewed and approved the testing and treatability procedures of the leachate and does not object to the conveyance of the leachate into the District’s treatment and disposal facilities. The SWMD will be responsible for any required testing of the leachate. With the construction of the HPDS LTS, leachate is treated on-site and discharged to the percolation galleries to recharge groundwater.
Amendment No. 2 for leachate treatment and disposal services with the District provides a contingency in the event of the following possible conditions: (1) leachate inflow to the LTS exceeds its anticipated maximum capacity; (2) treated leachate discharge quality does not meet limits included in RWQCB Order No. R6V-2012-0011; or (3) system operation is interrupted. This amendment will allow for the continuity of the treatment and disposal service, and the practical location of the facility near HPDS.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Kaleigh Ragon, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on April 23, 2025; Purchasing (Jessica Barajas, Supervising Buyer, 387-2065) on April, 28, 2025; Finance (Kathleen Gonzalez, Administrative Analyst, 387-5412) on May 20, 2025; and County Finance and Administration (Paloma Hernandez-Barker, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on May 23, 2025.