REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF BOARD GOVERNED COUNTY SERVICE AREAS
AND RECORD OF ACTION
May 19, 2026
FROM
NOEL CASTILLO, Director, Department of Public Works - Special Districts
SUBJECT
Title
Sewer System Management Plan Update for Wastewater Collection System at County Service Area 42 Oro Grande
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Acting as the governing body of County Service Area 42 - Oro Grande:
1. Adopt Sewer System Management Plan update for the wastewater collection systems located at County Service Area 42 - Oro Grande.
2. Direct the Department of Public Works to submit the updated Sewer System Management Plan to the State Water Resources Control Board.
(Presenter: Noel Castillo, Director, 387-7906)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Improve County Government Operations.
Foster Sustainable Development Through Strategic Partnerships.
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) as adopting the Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP) updates is non-financial in nature.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Department of Public Works - Special Districts, Water and Sanitation Division (Department) provides operation, maintenance and management to various County Service Area wastewater collections systems in a manner consistent with the requirements of all Federal and State regulatory agencies. This item seeks approval to adopt an updated SSMP County Service Area 42 - Oro Grande, in compliance with State Water Resources Control Board requirements. A SSMP is a regulatory document that outlines how a wastewater collection system is operated, maintained, and managed to prevent sewer overflow and protect public health and the environment.
To provide a consistent, statewide regulatory approach to address sanitary sewer spills and sanitary sewer overflow, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) adopted Statewide General Waste Discharge Requirements for Sanitary Sewer Systems, Water Quality Order No. 2022-0103-DWQ (Sanitary Sewer Systems General Order) on December 6, 2022, and Order No. WQ 2013-0058-EXEC (Statewide Waste Discharge Requirements for Sanitary Sewer System) on September 9, 2013.
The Sanitary Sewer Systems General Order requires public agencies that own or operate sanitary sewer systems to develop and implement SSMPs and report all sanitary sewer spills to the SWRCB’s online California Integrated Water Quality System (CIWQS) Sanitary Sewer System, Database. As part of its duties, the Department is responsible for the establishment of a SSMP for each wastewater collection system greater than one mile in length, to meet the SWRCB requirements.
The objective of the SSMP is to provide a plan and schedule to properly manage, operate and maintain all parts of the sanitary sewer system. The SSMP is established to be consistent with the following goals:
• Maintain or improve the condition of the sewer collection system infrastructure to provide reliable service now and in the future;
• Mitigate infiltration and inflow to adequately provide for sewer capacity and accommodate design storm flow; and
• Minimize the number and impact of any sanitary sewer overflows that may occur.
The updated SSMP for County Service Area 42 - Oro Grande which included updated organizational information, recent spill reporting, and other audit-related updates, will help meet these goals.
On November 14, 2017 (Item No. 46), the Board of Supervisors adopted the SSMPs for the wastewater collection systems located in various CSAs and their Zones. The Sanitary Sewer Systems General Order requires agencies to conduct an internal audit of their SSMPs every three years and an update every six years. On December 6, 2022, the SWRCB adopted the reissued Sanitary Sewer Systems General Order with the effective date of June 5, 2023. This included an extension to submit audits and updates due to additional criteria in the General Order.
Approval of this item will update this SSMP to be compliant with SWRCB Order No. 2022-0103-DWQ and Order No. WQ 2013-0058-EXEC regulating statewide general waste discharge requirements for sanitary sewer systems within the new regulatory timeframes.
PROCUREMENT
Not applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Sophie Curtis, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on April 7, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Matthew Dalton, Administrative Analyst, 387-5005) on April 30, 2026.