CLEARLAKE OAKS >> The Clearlake Oaks County Water District has struggled to keep up with excess water in the system, resulting in some minor spills and some major concerns.
COCWD put out an official “emergency request for water conservation” to locals in the district, encouraging residents to minimize water usage for the next 3-4 weeks, until the rainy season comes to a controlling point. The statement said Clear Lake water levels have left the Clearlake Oaks water and sewer systems “unable to keep up.”
The district’s General Manager, Alan Gardner, said his systems have been pushed to their limits since the rains started in January, following Lake County’s recent trend of flogged water and sewage treatment plants. To add to existing troubles two of the plant’s main pumps failed on Sunday, forcing the district to resort to an emergency pump and a 24-hour “daisy chain” of transport trucks taking excess water to larger treatment plants on the north side of the lake.
And the trucks aren’t cheap — many companies have been called in from all over the state to help rural areas stay above water. Gardner said a single truck can cost up to $12,000 per day to operate. Unfortunately, he has little choice but to drain the coffers of his budget and hope for reimbursement from the state, which currently views Lake County under an emergency status.
“The collection system is simply overwhelmed,” Gardner said.
Gardner said his plant only processes about 2.5 million gallons of liquid each day, which cannot meet the estimated 3.6 million gallons collecting in the system. The difference began to seep up into the streets of Clearlake Oaks Monday night.
Gardner said storm waters have diluted any sewage overflow, and so far, his district has vacuumed up any street leakage. Likewise, the brief hiatus in rain has allowed COCWD to keep up, trimming their fleet of trucks from seven down to four.
But Gardner said the break is indeed temporary; more trucks will be needed as forecasted weather will continue to test his burdened waterworks.
“We now have a steady state,” he said. “But if we get five to seven inches of rain, we’ll have problems.”
Clear Lake, which continues to hover around 9.5 on the Rumsey Gauge, has backed up storm drains on streets, creating a constant flow into waterways. If the area around Clearlake takes on the National Weather Service’s predicted five to seven inches of rain by the end of the month, the lake will swell an additional two feet.
But the lake marks only part of the problem. Much like systems in Lakeport, Upper Lake and Hidden Valley Lake, Clearlake Oaks’s sewers and waterways weren’t built yesterday — a lot of extra storm water leaks into the sewer’s pressurized system through overgrown tree roots, tiny holes and old manhole covers.
“The sewers weren’t put in carefully,” he said, “They were put in by contractors in the ‘60s.”
Also like other districts, Gardner said he has a plan for the eventual repair and replacement of the sewers below Clearlake Oaks. He has already secured $3.7 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and is applying for further funding from the state. All told, Clearlake Oaks could have nearly $16 million dollars to completely replace old sewer systems.
Until then, it’s a game of ebb and flow.
“We cannot get control back to the system until the lake goes down,” Gardner said. “So we need to minimize what’s coming in from residents.”
The district’s official notice aims to inform the public of this minor hardship. Gardner has received calls complaining of truck noise or requesting more information. Once the situation is explained, most residents oblige
“I tell them it’s a lot better than having a foot of sewage in their yards,” Gardner said.
It may not be glamorous, but Gardner said the “if it’s yellow, let it mellow” rule applies — the fewer flushes, the better. Likewise, residents should also limit the frequency of showers and washing dishes and clothes.
“People are doing an amazing job,” he said, referring his staff and hired help. “We have people going 24 hours a day.”
