Service Levels
Water Quality Violations
Definition
Violations occur when the quality of water discharged from the treatment plant to the Sacramento River does not meet regulatory requirements.
Target
No more than 5 water quality violations per year. Five water quality violations per year correspond with the requirements for the Silver Award issued by the National Association of Clean Water Agencies.
Major Sanitary Sewer Overflows
Definition
A major sanitary sewer overflow occurs when sewage overflows the wastewater conveyance system (interceptor pipelines) in an amount greater than 1,000 gallons and/or reaches creeks, rivers or other surface waters.
Target
No more than 1 major sanitary sewer overflow per year.
Purpose
This service level reflects proper capacity, operation and maintenance of major wastewater conveyance (interceptor pipeline) facilities.
Major Wastewater Treatment Plant Spills
Definition
A major wastewater treatment plant spill occurs when wastewater that is not fully treated leaves the treatment plant property, gets into a stream or river, endangers public health and/or creates a nuisance.
Target
As a major wastewater treatment plant spill represents catastrophic failure, a target of 0 has been set for this service level.
Purpose
Our performance with this service level reflects proper capacity, operation and maintenance of facilities at the wastewater treatment plant.
Interceptor Odor Events
Definition
An interceptor odor event occurs when odors released from the interceptor pipelines and pump stations are easily recognized by the average person and reported to Regional San staff.
Target
No more than 6 interceptor odor events per year.
Purpose
This service level reflects the effectiveness of our odor control equipment and practices in the interceptor pipeline system.
Wastewater Treatment Plant Odor Events
Definition
A wastewater treatment plant odor event occurs when odors released from the wastewater treatment plant site are easily recognized by the average person and reported to Regional San staff.
Target
No more than 8 wastewater treatment plant odor events per year.
Purpose
This service level reflects the effectiveness of our odor control equipment and practices at the wastewater treatment plant.
Biosolids Recycled
Definition
During the wastewater treatment process, organic matter is removed from the water, treated, disinfected and converted to a fertilizer product called biosolids. This service level reflects the amount of biosolids recycled as fertilizer.
Target
The current target for this service level is to recycle enough biosolids to fertilize between 3,000 and 3,650 acres.
Purpose
Our biosolids recycling efforts represent our commitment to environmental stewardship.
Water Recycled
Definition
This service level reflects the amount of tertiary-treated wastewater that is used for beneficial purposes, such as irrigation, instead of being discharged to the Sacramento River.
Target
The target for this service level is to recycle enough water to irrigate between 200 and 300 acres per year.
Purpose
This service level represents our commitment to environmental stewardship and enhancing the water supply through water recycling.
