New sewer line construction project in the Sugar Bowl East and West Villages
The Donner Summit Public Utility District (DSPUD) is beginning the process to extend the public sewer system to the remainder of the Sugar Bowl East and West Villages. Once completed, this will allow all residences in the East and West Villages to connect to the public sewer system and abandon their individual septic systems. This is the final step in fully connecting the entire Sugar Bowl community to the DSPUD’s water and sewer systems. Check out the infographic to learn more about the project.
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Topic: DSPUD Sugar Bowl Sewer Extension Project
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Project Details
Brief History
In 2009, Placer County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) approved the annexation of the East and West Villages into DSPUD’s service area to provide water and sewer services. The East and West Villages were first connected to the water system with the intent to connect to the sewer system in the future. The 2009 Annexation Agreement states that the properties would be required to connect to public sewer within 10 years or when septic systems fail, if treatment capacity is available. DSPUD completed an upgrade and expansion of its wastewater treatment plant in 2015. The wastewater treatment plant now has the capacity to treat wastewater from the East and West Villages. The next step to providing the Villages with sewer service is to extend the public sewer lines to parcels that do not have access to the public sewer so that they can connect.
Project Scope
Public sewer lines will be constructed throughout the East and West Villages and sewer laterals will be installed from the public sewer pipe to the property line of each residential lot. DSPUD will be the lead agency for installation of the public sewer.
Individual property owners are responsible for the work on their property, including:
- DSPUD connection fees
- Private lateral pipe from the property line to the home
- Abandonment of any existing septic system
Project Costs
Each property owner is responsible for the cost of work on their property. The installation of the public sewer will be paid for by the benefiting property owners through an assessment that can be paid for all at once or financed and placed on the annual property tax bill.
The assessment is established by forming an Assessment District. The first step to forming the Assessment District is the preparation of an Engineer’s Report that calculates the cost of the public sewer extension and apportions those costs to the benefitting properties. The DSPUD Board of Directors will review and approve the Engineer’s Report and direct staff to mail notices and ballots to the benefiting property owners. Property owners will indicate support or opposition to Assessment District formation on the ballot. The Board cannot form the Assessment District or impose assessments if the ballots submitted in opposition exceeds the ballots submitted in support of the assessments.
Once the Assessment District is approved, property owners will be given an opportunity to either pay their assessment or have the assessment placed on their annual tax bill. After the prepayment period, DSPUD will issue bonds to finance the remaining costs to construct.
Current Status
DSPUD has hired Auerbach Engineering Corporation (AEC) to prepare the Engineer’s Report that calculates the costs and apportions them based on benefit. The Engineer’s Report is planned to be complete in January 2024 and Assessment District ballots would be sent in February 2024.
AEC is also preparing the engineering documents needed to solicit construction bids from contractors. DSPUD anticipated that the construction of the first phase of the Project will be ready to begin construction in Spring 2024.
