Whether you are the second-largest sewage collection utility in California or a small independent district in the Central Valley, building strong working relationships with other local utilities is crucial. That’s why this team from Northern California came together to emphasize the importance of partnership at this year’s annual conference in Sacramento. Sacramento Area Sewer District (SacSewer) and Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) have enjoyed a highly successful collaboration for over 40 years.
SacSewer has made some significant changes in the past few years. They’ve completed the EchoWater Project, a major capital initiative that upgraded the facility from secondary to advanced tertiary treatment. They also merged the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District and SacSewer into one organization—now known as SacSewer. This merger brought together California’s second-largest sewage collection utility with the nation’s second-largest water resource recovery facility of its kind—forming a larger, more cohesive organization that serves over 1.6 million residents in the Sacramento region.
SMUD is a community-owned, not-for-profit electric utility serving the greater Sacramento area. The organization aims to provide safe, reliable electricity at affordable rates. Its service area covers 900 square miles, supplies electricity to 1.5 million people—including over 673,000 accounts—and has more than 2,400 employees.
During this session, attendees will meet SacSewer’s Helen Hu, EchoWater Facility Operations and Maintenance Manager II; SMUD’s Leilani Ventura, Strategic Account Advisor; and SMUD’s John Barnes, Associate Mechanical Engineer. This team has collaborated for the past seven years to support one another and implement projects that will move the region toward meeting key sustainability goals.
As one of California’s largest electrical consumers, the EchoWater Facility’s annual electrical costs range from $13 to $14 million. SMUD and SacSewer collaborate to forecast the EchoWater Facility’s electrical usage and electrical rates, which inform SacSewer’s annual funding need for electricity. Hu said that with the support from Leilani and the SMUD Team, SacSewer is able to integrate potential electrical cost adjustments and accurately project the annual electricity budget..
In her role as accounts advisor, Ventura has worked to foster further collaboration and improve the relationship between the two organizations.
“I believe that really getting to know SacSewer’s business and its needs helps to build an energy-efficient relationship,” Ventura said.
In hopes of better understanding the industry, Ventura attended last year’s CWEA Annual Conference in Palm Springs.
“I attended every workshop and round table I could fit in at the conference,” she said. “By attending, I found a better understanding of how the industry operates.”
Barnes is a Mechanical Engineer at SMUD and has helped SacSewer with recommendations for multiple energy efficiency projects through SMUD’s Custom Retrofit program. With this program, he helps SacSewer by providing financial incentives and design review to ensure it is energy-efficient.
“This is just one of the many programs we provide for SacSewer,” Barnes said.
One example of how the two agencies have collaborated is SacSewer’s biogas programs, which involve recycling biogas, a by-product of solids digestion, to generate electricity at SMUD’s Consumnes Power Plant (CPP). Sending gas to SMUD’s CPP reduces emissions from open biogas flaring. The agreement between the two agencies has just been renewed and approved by both Boards. SacSewer also partners with SMUD to install additional electric vehicle charging stations and replace SacSewer’s Laboratory HVAC system. This partnership will support both SacSewer and SMUD’s environmental sustainability goals.
Ventura said the key takeaways from the AC26 session will be ways to improve communication and operational coordination, especially during critical events. As well as engaging with utility provider(s) on the implementation of operational and capital projects.
“The ultimate goal of the session is building better relationships between local agencies,” she said.
Whether you are a superintendent of operations, a general manager, an engineer, or a collections supervisor, this session will offer helpful tips on building a strong collaborative partnership between regional utilities.
From operators to GMs, collaboration across roles and agencies is essential. At AC26, you’ll meet the people shaping the future of wastewater, gain practical insights, and discover tools to improve regional coordination and operations.
Be part of the conversation this April in Sacramento.
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