San Bruno Patch's questions regarding San Bruno's sewer system.

By Marty Medina

San Bruno Patch provided questions from a resident regarding San Bruno's sewer system. All of the candidates provided responses. Following are my answers.

Thank you for providing the questions and thanks to the person that submitted them.

A little background information. The City of San Bruno completed a Sewer Master Plan 2014 (last updated in 2000). This plan may be downloaded at (click here). The plan complies with Statewide General Wastewater Discharge Requirements. It is intended to satisfy the specific requirements of the Cease and Desist Order/Consent Decree, preparation of a Capacity Assurance Plan, and the development of a long-range Capital Improvement Program for the sewer system.

1. Council members and city staff have often referred to the sewer infrastructure as "old." This explains, we are told, why we have sewer overflows and line failures. The City does respond to sewage overflows, but Q#1 - Should the City be able to anticipate such overflows? If not, why not?

The Sewer Master Plan (SMP) specifies areas where overflows are anticipated to occur during large storm events. These overflows are due to events called Infiltration and Inflow (I/I), where stormwater and groundwater enter through the cracks of the sewer lines. The SMP identifies ten specific capacity improvement projects and two pump station improvement projects to alleviate sanitary sewer overflows (SSO's). There are SSO's in dry weather due to sewer main blockages from debris, roots, and grease; these types are harder to anticipate. Rehabilitation and Spot Repair are also identified in the SMP.

Q# 2 - WHAT WOULD BE YOUR long range plan to modernize the sewer system?

With over ten years of service as a San Bruno Public Works Inspector, I am familiar with the sewer system and the staff. The SMP is the City's long range plan to modernize the sewer system. Many engineering studies are involved in preparing the plan. The SMP identified twenty-three percent of the inspected sewer lines need some type of repair. My long range plan to modernize the sewer system is to make sure we have the budget and construction oversight to ensure our City complies with the Sewer Master Plan, Consent Decree, and Cease and Desist Order. I will request quarterly updates to document the progress and will personally review and consult with staff on a regular basis.

3. The City now has a truck equipped with a video camera (with a rotating head) to inspect main sewer lines. Q# 3 - WHAT WOULD BE YOUR long range plan to perform a complete inspection of all the main sewer lines? (A long range plan can be 5 to 10 years).

The SMP plan lists 87 miles of sewer lines in our system. The City must comply with a Consent Decree that requires ongoing video inspection for critically damaged sewer pipes until they are repaired, with nearly 16 miles (85,000 lineal feet) of pipe rated in severe or critical condition.

For the remaining locations I would meet with the Public Services Director, City Engineer, Wastewater Services Manager, and other staff, to determine which locations should be inspected next, and generate an inspection schedule. It is extremely important to involve staff in the decisions in order to draw from their experience. They are the ones that have been dealing with the problems for years.

Now that we have our own truck and video camera it is critical to provide the budget to efficiently inspect the sewer mains.

Q# 4 - In what area would YOU recommend the video inspection begin?

As stated above the Consent Decree requires ongoing inspection for critically damaged sewer pipes until they are repaired. The SWP also identified 6,800 feet of pipe that was not inspected. These are the locations to begin video inspection. Also, since development is planned along the transit corridor it is important to confirm the condition of the existing sewer mains as new sewer lines are connected to them. There is no reason to dig up the same street twice. Staff is also aware high maintenance flushing locations so their input is very important.

I cannot overstress the importance of coordination between our crews and management. I was the construction inspector for reconstruction of the Water Pump Station #5, near Cherry and Maple Avenues. Although this was primarily a water project, a section of sewer was also included. Our crews needed to repeatedly flush the sewer line along Maple to keep it flowing due to a section of substandard sewer main. The same contractor built the pump station and fixed the sewer main. The high level of flushing is no longer needed and the cost savings are substantial. We need to encourage this coordination and keep our crews involved in the decision-making process.

Q# 5 - Will YOU recommend that citizens be informed of the video sequence and the findings? If not, why not?

Yes, the public should be informed of the video sequence and findings. I believe in running a transparent government. The work performed by the sewer crews should be available for public view. The video could be viewed through the city's website or YouTube.

Q# 6 - How long do YOU anticipate it will take to complete the inspection of all sewer main lines?

There are 87 miles of sewer lines in our system. The city used a contractor that had an inspection rate of 90,000 feet per year. Using these rates it would take a little over 5 years. Hopefully since our crews are more familiar with the system it could take less time. The crews need to be trained and accustomed to working with the new equipment. Quarterly reports would detail the inspection rate.

Q# 7 - Will YOU support repair priorities be established based on the severity of the damage observed via video? If not, why not?

San Bruno adopted the Pipeline Assessment and Certification Program, a current industry standard in video inspection. The SWP already identifies many factors in establishing repair priorities based on the severity of the damage, location of the damage on the pipe, root intrusions, joint offsets, poor structural condition, high maintenance, flat slopes, flow, etc... I fully support utilizing the SWP, crews, and staff to establish repair priorities.

8. Some of the main lines were installed before residential construction took place. Q# 8 - Will YOU review line capacity based on sewage discharge in each neighborhood? If not, why not. Some present lines have insufficient capacity to drain sewage.

The SMP determined where the anticipated capacity problems and the projects to fix them. The hydraulic model was based on twelve flow metered locations. Attempting to include each neighborhood in flow studies was not included in the plan, however some new development projects were included. Since a number of development projects have been completed since the SWP was completed, it is important to investigate their impact on the hydraulic modeling.

Q# 9 + What is YOUR long range plan to finance repairs and modernization of the sewer system?

San Bruno must comply with the specific requirements of the Cease and Desist Order and Consent Decree. Following is the wastewater budget from 2015-2020 Capital Improvement Program:

Carryover 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 Total $9,763,917 $7,653,022 $10,982,863 $14,300,462 $8,399,089 $5,990,000 $57,089,353

The City Council voted to approve the sewer and water rates by ten percent per year for five years on May 8, 2012. Will the rates increases be enough to complete the identified work? If elected I will fully disclose the progress we have made in this required work. If there are not enough funds we need to seriously reconsider the funding mechanisms. We cannot continue to constantly raise the sewer and water rates.

It is one thing to have the funds but another thing to efficiently utilize them. We must reevaluate the policy, procedures, materials, and methods in maintaining and upgrading our infrastructure. We must have the right balance of properly trained and experienced staff to complete the work. Having our own staff complete the repairs is less costly than having contractors complete the work. We need to have our engineering department take a bigger lead in the design of the sewer upgrades and be less reliant on expensive consultants. We cannot expect different results if we do the same thing over and over again.

There are many ways we can do better.

Your closing thoughts:

I worked in the San Bruno Public Works Department for over 10 years and I witnessed numerous projects that were not completed due to lack of funds. San Bruno has a small engineering staff and an old infrastructure; a costly combination. In 2011, the City of San Bruno had to pay over $900,000 in fees and fines for failing to comply with a Cease and Desist Order from the California Regional Water Control Board. The San Bruno Patch published an article specifically questioning if the fines could have been avoided click here Following is an excerpt from the article, "A 1997 cease and desist order required the city to invest $1.84 million per year for 10 years to get the sewer system up to par. However, the city only invested $1.4 million annually--nearly $500,000 short a year of what was required. Meanwhile, sewer rates were raised."

I am currently a Construction Inspector for the Alameda County Water District (three years in November), with over 20 years of construction experience. In August 2013, I obtained a Certificate in Construction Management from UC Berkeley Extension. I believe I can better manage the infrastructure than the other candidates due to my construction experience, knowledge, and familiarity with the sewer system and staff. I believe they had their chances to manage the system (since 1995 and 2009). I humbly ask for your vote and the opportunity to use my skill sets to help guide us through this tough and costly construction process.

Vote for Marty Medina San Bruno City Council 2015

Please contact me if you have any questions: sanbrunotruth@gmail.com and MedinaForSanBruno2015.com

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Marty Medina