STPUD informs Alpine County they are ending recycled water agreement

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Effective the end of November, the South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD) is ending an agreement with Alpine County regarding its recycled water operations.

STPUD has paid Alpine County an annual mitigation fee to address potential impacts caused by recycled water for 35 years, a fee that is approximately $100,000 per year.

STPUD says there have not been adverse impacts from the recycled water operations and the agreement is no longer necessary.

In 1969, all wastewater districts in Lake Tahoe were mandated to export treated wastewater out of the Basin by the Porter-Cologne Act. STPUD exports all of its treated wastewater, also known as recycled water, to Diamond Valley in Alpine County where it is used for irrigation for both ranchers and STPUD.

On the North and West Shores of Lake Tahoe, water is pumped to the Truckee treatment facility and wastewater from the Nevada side goes to North Douglas County treatment facilities.

In the 1980s, STPUD changed its recycled water treatment process from tertiary to advanced secondary, as the original technology was unreliable. At that time, the District signed an amendment to its agreement with Alpine County to pay an annual fee to address potential adverse impacts caused by the change in water quality.

Since then, Alpine County has not found it necessary to use these funds for mitigation activities, according to a statement by STPUD.

“Alpine County reached out to us last year to renegotiate the agreement," said STPUD General Manager John Thiel said. "After looking into it, both parties determined that it could be terminated. Since there have been no adverse impacts caused by our recycled water operations, we feel there is no longer a need for an agreement or for any more payments.”

In the 2017-18 Alpine County Grand Jury report, the jurists had several findings and recommendations concerning the County's agreement with STPUD. They said the 2002 agreement with STPUD was only voted on by two supervisors as there wasn't a quorum present. They also said in their report that the financial arrangement wasn't favorable to their residents and the $100,000 per year was not adjusted for inflation or spent as originally intended and recommended they get more money from STPUD.

The fund was originally a mitigation fund for the County but went into the general fund when liability was assumed by STPUD, according to the Grand Jury.

In 1983, the Sewer Quality Initiative in Alpine County was approved by voters, 217-207. This required Alpine County to do independent testing of the water and STPUD paid up to $15,000 annually to do so. The County stopped testing almost 20 years ago.

STPUD also purchased 15,000 pounds of catchable trout to be released into Indian Creek Reservoir and streams throughout Alpine County (approximately $56,000 in 2019). STPUD is evaluating the future stocking of fish, and if approved, stocking only Indian Creek Reservoir and not the other creeks.

Originally water went to the reservoir, but when STPUD changed to the advanced filter secondary treatment the wastewater went into Harvey Place Reservoir, something the water agency built in the 1980s.

"We are still responsible to ensure the reservoir is a healthy recreational water body," said STPUD spokesperson Shelly Thomsen.

Six Alpine County farmers have individual contracts with STPUD to receive the recycled water from Harvey Place Reservoir. They close its dam in the winter and it fills up, then water is sent out to the farmers. This change with the agreement with ALpine County will not impact those farmers.

STPUD notified Alpine County that the agreement will end on November 30, 2019. Recycled water from South Lake Tahoe will continue to be exported to Alpine County and used for irrigation. The District’s recycled water operations will continue to be regulated by the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board.

"We have not heard from Alpine County since they received the notice on Tuesday, October 22, 2019," said Thomsen. "In 2018, Alpine County reached out to us to discuss renegotiating the terms of the agreement. Both parties concluded that the agreement could be terminated at will by either party. The District believes it is appropriate to end the agreement since it no longer serves its intended purpose."

The Alpine County Board of Supervisors will be considering its response, if any, in closed session on Nov. 5, Supervisor Chair David Griffith told South Tahoe Now.