VOLUME XIX NUMBER 2 SERVING EL CERRITO, KENSINGTON, AND RICHMOND ANNEX FALL 2013

THE ENDEAVORA PUBLICATION OF THE STEGE SANITARY DISTRICT OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY

BOARD OF DIRECTORSBeatrice O’Keefe,

PresidentDwight Merrill,

Vice-PresidentGraham Brand, DirectorPaul Gilbert-Snyder,

DirectorAlan C. Miller, Director

DISTRICT MANAGER/ ENGINEER

Rex Delizo

MISSION STATEMENT OF THE STEGE SANITARY DISTRICTIt shall be the mission of the Stege Sanitary District to plan and operate a safe, efficient, and economical wastewater collection and transfer system for the present and future customers of the District.

INSIDEBackflow Prevention Device ................... 2

Don’t Connect Drains to the Sanitary Sewer System................... 2

The New Truck .......... 2

Fiscal Year 2013-14 Budget ................... 3

Open House ............. 3

How to Contact Stege . 4

Where the Sewage Meets the Sea .......... 4

Monthly Sewer Service Charge Comparison ... 4

Transparency Certificate of Excellence Award ... 4

Cleaning and disinfection wipes, moist towelettes, personal hygiene wipes, baby wipes—they are all labeled “disposable,” so why not flush them down the toilet? Quite simply, because disposing of such items—even so-called “flushable” ones— in the toilet instead of in the trash causes big problems.

Unlike toilet tissue, disposable wipes don’t disintegrate in water. They retain their form and accumulate in sewer mains where they sink to the bottom and lodge against pipe joints, back-ing up the wastewater that flows behind them. Dental floss flushed down the toilet can make the problem even worse. Dental floss is very strong and durable. It can make minor clogs within pipes worse by “binding” materials together.

Clogs of disposable wipes can cause sewer overflows, letting untreated sewage flow into nearby yards, creeks, and storm drains, and eventually into San Francisco Bay.

Clearing wipes from the wastewater stream is also time-consuming and labor-intensive.

These disposable items are an even greater problem for the property owners’ sewer laterals, which are smaller in diameter and more susceptible to clogs. Backups here can cause untreated sewage to flow into homes and businesses.

The sewer system is only designed to handle toilet tissue and human waste.

Some other things that belong in the trash, not in the toilet include: makeup pads; hair; bandages; latex products; kitty litter; diapers; cotton swabs; hygiene products; ciga-rettes and ash.

Please don’t use your toilet as a trash can! The only thing you should flush down the toilet is toilet tissue and human waste. Put disposable wipes, dental floss, and similar items in the trash. S

Associate Engineer Paul Soo, Jr. demonstrates how toilet tissue (left) disintegrates in water whereas disposable wipes (right) retain their form.

Put Wipes in the Trash, Not in the Toilet

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The newest addition to the Dis-trict’s fleet of sewer mainte-nance trucks, a combination sewer cleaning truck, was on display at the District’s open house on May 18. This state-of-the-art truck com-bines the water jetting capability of the District’s hydro jetter with a vacuum system. The truck has a 500-gallon water tank and can clean up to 700 feet of sewer line in one operation. This is almost twice the cleaning capability of the hydro jetter, which has been in service for close to 30 years.

In addition to clearing sewer lines with a powerful jet of water, the new truck uses a vacuum system to remove

the material it dislodges. Previously, debris had to be removed by hand in five-gallon buckets. The new truck can hold five cubic yards of debris. That is equal to 173 five gallon buckets. All it takes to operate are two maintenance employees.

In addition to the com-bination sewer cleaning truck and the hydro jetter, the District maintains its 148 miles of sewer line using two rodders, which clear lines of tree roots and debris much like a

giant rotor-rooter, and a TV van that remotely video records the condition of the sewer lines. S

The New Truck

Backflow Prevention Device

If your house lateral—the pipe that connects your home plumbing to the sewer main—is not far enough above the rim of the next upstream sewer manhole and there is an extraordinarily high volume of water in the main, or if a blockage downstream forces sewage back upstream, you could find sewage coming back out of the drains in your house.

You can prevent this from happening by installing a backflow prevention device on your lateral. The District requires such devices on all new build-ings, on laterals that have been repaired or replaced, and on existing build-ings that have drain outlets 12” or less above the rim of the next upstream manhole. The overflow device provides an emergency escape path should wastewater back up in your lateral.

If you are unsure if you already have a backflow prevention device on your lateral or if want to know if you need one, contact us at (510) 524-4668 (Monday through Thursday: 8:00am to 5:00pm; Friday: 8:00am to 4:00pm) to make an appointment for a free inspection. Installing a backflow preven-tion device requires a permit, which is available at the District’s office at 7500 Schmidt Lane in El Cerrito. The permit costs $25.00. S

Don’t Connect Roof or Yard Drains to the Sanitary Sewer System

Piping runoff water into your sanitary system, either from house gutters or a sump pump, is illegal. To do so violates District regulations and other federal and local ordinances. Any illegal drain(s) must be disconnected from the sanitary sewer system and re-routed to the appropriate

storm drainage system. Please contact the City (or the County for Kensington) for assistance with storm runoff requirements. S

Cap-type cleanout

Mushroom-type backflow prevention device

Capital Expenses 45%

Operating Expenses 55%

Sewer Operation Fund 64%

Other Fund Sources 3%

Capital Fund 33%

REVENUE Sewer Operation FundNon Operating Income:

Property Tax 339,000Interest 5,000Miscellaneous 21,000

Operating Income: Permit & Inspection Fees 25,000Sewer Service Charges 2,395,531Contracted Services 15,000

Subtotal 2,800,531

Capital FundNon-Operating Income:

Interest 5,000Operating Income:

Capital Service Charges 1,320,469Connection Fees 100,000

Subtotal 1,425,469

Other Fund Sources Transfer FROM/(TO) Reserves 144,577

Subtotal 144,577

TOTAL REVENUE 4,370,577

EXPENSESOperating Expenses: Maintenance/Engineering 1,700,595Pump Stations 15,924Contracted Repairs 56,000General & Administration 623,013Subtotal 2,395,531

Capital Expenses Capital Equipment 25,000Debt Repayment -SRF Loan 223,045Construction 1,727,000Subtotal 1,975,045

TOTAL EXPENSES 4,370,577

Fiscal Year 2013-14 Budget

Revenue

Expenses

The District adheres to an investment policy for reserve funds that complies with state statutes and stipulates safety, liquidity, and yields as the order of investment objectives. All currently invested funds are with the State Local Agency Investment Fund (LAIF).

On May 18, 2013, the District held an open house to cele-brate 100 years of protecting community health and the environment. The family-friendly event featured live music, refreshments, tours, equipment displays, historic photographs, and commemorative artwork by local stu-dents. Close to 200 people attended the occasion including State Sena-tor Loni Hancock; Assemblymember Nancy Skinner; Supervisor John Gioia; El Cerrito City Council Members Rebecca Benassini and Jan Bridges; the director of the Kensington Police Protection and Community Services District, Chuck Toombs; Andy Katz and Ben Horenstein from EBMUD; and Alfred Granzella, president of the West County Water District. S

Senator Loni Hancock, second from the right, presented a State Resolution honor-

ing the District’s long history of community service and dedication.

Also pictured are, from left to right, Stege Board of Directors Dwight Merrill,

Beatrice O’Keefe, Alan Miller, and Paul Gilbert-Snyder.

Open House

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Community band, West County Winds, provided music.

Angela El-Telbany from EBMUD explains the need to keep fat, oil, and grease out of the sewer system.Informative displays

were part of the Centennial celebration.

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PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE

PAID FREMONT CA PERMIT #68

STEGE SANITARY DISTRICT7500 Schmidt Lane El Cerrito, CA 94530-0537 (510) 524-4667

SEA

Where the

SEWAGEMeets the

Stege Sanitary District and the Growth of the East Bay

DAVID WEINSTEIN

Where the

SEWAGE

Meets the

SEA

10

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th Anniversary 1913-2

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St

ege San

itary District Transparency Certificate of Excellence Award

The Stege Sanitary District was awarded the District Transparency Certificate of Excellence by the Special District Leadership Foundation (SDLF) in recognition of its out-standing efforts to promote transparency and good governance

To receive the award, Stege had to com-plete eight essential governance transparency requirements, including conducting ethics training for all board members, properly con-ducting open and public meetings, and filing Financial Transactions and Compensation Reports to the State Controller in a timely manner.

The District also fulfilled fifteen website requirements, providing readily available information to the public, such as board agen-das, past minutes, the current District budget, and the most recent financial audit.

Finally, the District demonstrated out-reach to the public through such activities as newsletters and community programs. S

Alameda $22.62

Albany $37.25

Berkeley $27.84

Emeryville $8.00

Oakland $34.72

Piedmont $54.06

STEGE $16.25

Monthly Sewer Service Charge Comparison Local EBMUD Agencies

Where the Sewage Meets the Sea, a comprehensive history of the Stege Sanitary District is available free for download from the District’s website, www.stegesan.org. Download the whole history of the District or choose your favorite period: 1900s-1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s-1980s, 1990s-2013. S

To Contact Stege: Phone: (510) 524-4668 (510) 524-4667 (after hours) Email: staff@stegesd.dst.ca.us Web: www.stegesan.org