MIDDLETOWN >> California’s government will provide millions of dollars in funding for the Anderson Springs sewer project, officials recently reported, giving both Valley Fire survivors and Lake County’s departments a reason to celebrate.
The announcement came from State Senator Mike McGuire during the Valley Fire Town Hall at Middletown High School. He said the money is part of the more than $10 million in infrastructure aid he and other lawmakers secured for the Butte and Valley fires.
“We couldn’t be more excited,” he said. “We will be able to have enough funds to move Anderson Springs forward.”
This comes as a relief to 119 surviving property owners who weren’t able to rebuild due to state regulations prohibiting new septic tanks from being placed close to bodies of water like Anderson Creek.
They weren’t sure about the future of their small community — let alone its survival — but now, 10 months after the third most destructive fire in state history leveled nearly 182 of their homes, the rebuilding can finally begin in earnest.
“The biggest draw for Anderson Springs is the community,” resident Donna Taylor said, noting that she and neighbors celebrated at Twin Pine Casino after the meeting. “If 110 of my neighbors couldn’t rebuild that would change [it].”
Although her home was far enough away from the creek to rebuild, Taylor said the announcement saves her and others like her a lot of money, cash that would’ve been spent on an unfunded sewer system.
“It’s very good news for all of us,” she added.
Of equal importance is the fact that the people affected by the environmental regulations can rebuild and occupy their homes while the sewer is being built. According to McGuire, the county is expected to grant permits in the next few months with the condition of more-than-usual septic tank cleanings.
But as pleased as community members are about that, resident Joan Clay claimed that is too early for her to decide how she feels because her property near Anderson Creek is small.
“I’m all for it, but I think we have to proceed with caution,” Clay said.
Currently, the proposal request for the engineering and design work is being reviewed by the State Water Resource Control Board because it gave the county $500,000 in full grant money to get preliminary work done.
The senator estimated that the project, which connects to the Middletown wastewater treatment plant, will cost approximately $7.5 million. The final amount and the sources of that funding have yet to be solidified but he assured that it will not require any county financial contribution of any kind.
Soon-to-be special districts administrator Jan Coppinger said she hopes that’s the case.
“Any match that’s required would have to come from the property owners and we just do not believe they can bear that cost,” she said.
Still, her department is thrilled about the aid.
“We are tremendously relieved to know that we are going to have a sewer system up there,” Coppinger said. “To see people having no option of rebuilding their home, which means their property is worth nothing and truly that would mean they lost everything in the fire—that too tragic.”
Construction is estimated to begin next summer. The community development department couldn’t be reached to confirm McGuire’s statements about issuing rebuild permits to those affected by state regulations.
