Covelo Community Services District
76270 Grange Street
P.O. Box 65
Covelo, CA 95428
(707) 983-6888
Public meetings: First Tuesday of each month @ 6:00PM
Keeping the Flow in Tow
As the clouds roll in and the rains pour down, the little town of Covelo can rest assured that its sewer system will hold. All those big trucks, all that noise and the constant re-routing of town traffic that plagued us last year has paid off —we now have a new infrastructure in place.
Thanks to the efforts of a handful of dedicated people--including CCSD’s current District Manager, Tim Dennis and its bookkeeper Catherine Towers, as well as previous District Manager, George Bennett we now have approximately 5,000 feet of new sewer lines nestled beneath our streets. Tim Dennis was on-site throughout the process, managing the team we contracted to do the work. In addition to checking every inch of pipe, Tim found a solution to each engineering conundrum that popped up. Without his eagle eye and keen understanding of hydraulics, we might not have gotten so superior a system.
Because the $2.3 million dollar project was funded by a cluster of government grants, the paperwork behind the scenes turned out to be extraordinarily complex. But Catherine Towers’ eternal diligence kept our paper trail in sync with the auditors.
Initially, we received $22,000 from MCTSAC/Mendocino County to assess needs and develop preliminary engineering reports. CCSD’s concerns were significant: the main sewer lines of the collection system had cracks as well as damaged and improperly installed lateral connections; the treatment ponds were not permitted for percolation, yet they were percolating. The issues with the collection system resulted in seasonally high infiltration rates. Infiltration is the groundwater that flows into cracks and such in the main sewer line. These high infiltration rates, left questions and concerns each year whether or not the treatment plant could handle these flows. Sometimes the solution to these high flows at the treatment plant was discharging to the creek. The cost of discharging to the creek even one drop of treated waste water was several thousand dollars. So CCSD set out to assess the best, cost effective solutions for our system.
The next chunk of money came in the form of a community development block grant from Mendocino County to begin repairing the collection system. But to finish the job, CCSD needed the kind of massive infusion that only the federal government supplies. To secure such funding, the USDA required CCSD to make some changes-- including an increase in monthly rates so that we could prove our ability to make the necessary loan payments. Once we made all the changes necessary for landing the grants, USDA awarded us two rounds of funding for $676,000 and $692,000. We also secured a $677,000 loan from USDA.
Although the collection system repair project is complete, we have an agreement with the contractors which gives us a year’s warranty on their work, should problems occur. While it is impossible to predict the inflow this winter, history has taught us that anywhere from 150,000 to 300,000 gallons per day—with peaks of 600,000 gallons—is what we can expect. So it’s good to be prepared.
Preparedness was also at the heart of our decision to replace our ailing ancient sewer jet truck. While we’d been fortunate enough to find money to repair the system, not a dime could be directed towards the purchase of a new vehicle. The money we had set aside was woefully short of the pricetag for a rig off the showroom floor, so we searched the Internet. Joe Gauder, the vice chairman of CCSD’s board of directors and a native Covelonian, found us a slightly used vehicle with all the right bells and whistles for a fraction of what we’d expected to pay. Tim Dennis has used the new sewer jet truck to terrific effect already and we’re well prepared to handle future clean outs.
We’re also getting ready to upgrade our sewage treatment capabilities. Today we have a capacity of 80,000 gallons per day at the treatment plant. Our ponds need an overhaul as does some of our most vital equipment. Tim, Catherine, and the board have worked closely with several different agencies and contractors to come up with a long-term solution to our needs. Funding for the project comes from Proposition 50 and requires the same meticulous caretaking the previous grants demanded. The good news is that our rates will remain the same and our new infrastructure should last us a good long time.
Right now the CCSD board is also completing its harmonization of the ordinances that have collected over the years. Soon we will have one organized, up-to-date version for all to see. Our books, which are audited regularly, are also available for scrutiny at any time as are all the records of our monthly meetings.
What’s next?
We are hoping that you will help us to chart that path. Please join us at our next meeting at the CCSD building and bring your ideas!
From left to right: Tim Dennis (CCSD
General Manager), Joe Gauder (board member), Crispin Littlehales (board member),
Catherine Towers (CCSD Bookkeeper and Secretary to the Board),
Paul Filler (board member), Tony Tucker (board member), and Dane Downing (CCSD
Chairman of the Board).