Council hears report from wastewater task force

By Michael Chaldu · Wed Nov 19 2025

Members also makes recommendations for community development block grants

ATASCADERO — Five months after giving the green light to the City Manager’s Task Force on Wastewater, the Atascadero City Council heard the findings from the task force during its regular meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 12. The council also heard an update on the proposed Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) and awarded a contract for preliminary design engineering on the plant.

The council, which usually meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month, met on a Wednesday for this meeting because Tuesday, Nov. 11, was Veterans Day holiday.

City Manager Jim Lewis began his presentation by praising the 14-member task force for its work studying the wastewater situation and explaining how the task force came about.

“This came about some time ago when we were adjusting sewer rates and council was very concerned about the road we would need to travel to solve this challenging problem,” said Lewis, who got the go-ahead to form a committee during the June 10 council meeting. “I think we’ve been successful in doing so, and we were able to gather together a cross-section of stakeholders willing to learn about the wastewater system in depth and provide recommendations for a path forward.”

The task force included City Councilmembers Susan Funk and Seth Peek, as well as city residents, business owners, and civic leaders with experience working on other wastewater projects.

After meeting four times from late July through September, the task force presented seven main recommendations:

• That the city continue to operate the plant instead of selling to a private or third party.
• While the board does not want to impede future city growth and development, the development should pay its full share of costs.
• Push back at the new Regional Water Quality Control Board effluent limits on treating salt, based on data points that are questionable.
• Understand serving Atascadero State Hospital (ASH) spreads out costs of the system, but all costs and impacts of the ASH connection shall be borne by ASH.
• Actively pursue partnerships with other nearby agencies.
• Perform a new volumetric analysis and study for customer user classification and rate schedules, including consideration of consumption, distance, and other metrics for methods of calculating contribution.
• Continue to pursue and advocate for additional State and Federal funding sources.

Lewis estimated the costs of a new wastewater treatment plan at $300 million, with $60 million for operations, $110 million for improvements to the collection system (sewers), and $130 million for water reclamation facility (WRF) improvements. The price tag is a large increase from the $30 million estimated cost cited in 2020.

The $300 million cost concerned the councilmembers.

“That number will give anyone heartburn,” said Councilmember Heather Newsom, who said earlier she had talked at length with members of the task force outside the chambers. “We have a limited budget and I just want to make sure we’re being good stewards for the budget in going forward with this.”

Funk also touched on the cost.

“Thirty million to $300 million — we really need to look at this,” she said. “[Look at] reducing cost, sharing costs, getting someone to help, creative partnerships; seeking grant funding.”

The councilmembers all endorsed pushing back on the RWQCB limits on salt treatment, with Mayor Charles Bourbeau calling the state-level agency the “out-of-control board” in his comments.

“We need to push back against requirements that mandate different levels for different communities from the same river,” he said. “It’s absurd to me that something for one community is not good enough for another.”

Council directed the staff to go forward with the recommendations.

After that, the council unanimously approved a contract with Black & Veatch to do preliminary design engineering and begin with Phase 1 of the WWTP, which includes Process Selection and Preliminary Cost Estimate.

Lewis cited the firm’s strengths in understanding city issues, its work with other water projects, and its ability to find cost-effective solutions in awarding the bid.

In other business:

Councilmembers made their recommendations for the 2026 Community Development Block Grants, which totaled $176,247. Out of the six applicants for the funds, the councilmembers recommended grants to the same three applicants: The City of Atascadero for improvements on Viejo Camino at Bocina Lane (near Paloma Creek Park), which includes a planned “enhanced” sidewalk near two bus stops ($114,561); The city again for Youth Activity Scholarships (varying amounts from each councilmember ranging from $13,500 to $18,000; and the El Camino Real Homeless Organization (ECHO), with $8,437 to $26,437, for operation of its homeless shelter.

Council unanimously approved an Order to Vacate Public Right-of-Way at 11285 San Marcos Road. Following heavy storms in 2023, part of the road slid away and the city made an agreement with a nearby property owner to vacate the right-of-way for a permanent easement, so the city could make improvements. Motion passed 5-0.

The City Council will not meet on Tuesday, Nov. 25 (Thanksgiving week), and will meet next on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 6 p.m.