In 2023, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) reported that more than 1.2 million on-site wastewater treatment systems (OWTS), or septic systems, were operating in California. While the vast majority of California OWTS seem to be functioning properly, a good number of systems still need repair or replacement.
Many of the failing or aging systems are located in underserved areas where affordable repair and replacement options are limited, which can pose risks to water quality and public health. Failures often occur because the OWTS cannot properly treat and dispose of waste due to poor design or unfavorable site conditions. Additionally, the subdivision of once-larger parcels has led to higher densities in these communities. Even when the OWTS function correctly, the combined effluent could exceed the environment’s capacity to absorb it.
In the April 2023 OWTS policy change requirements, SWRCB said that “what may have been effective in the past may not continue to be as conditions and circumstances surrounding particular locations change.”
At CWEA’s AC26, a team from the Sacramento Area Sewer District (SacSewer) and West Yost Associates spoke on this very topic at a session called “From Failing Septic Systems to Sustainable Futures: Sewer Solutions for Disadvantaged Communities in Sacramento County.”
The session follows SacSewer’s Septic-to-Sewer Program (Program) and the recent completion of five septic-to-sewer projects that helped bring public sewer service to five disadvantaged communities around the Sacramento region.
“The goal of these projects was to provide reliable sewer service to each community while minimizing the potential risks that aging, and in some cases failing, septic systems pose to the environment,” said Anne Tran, P.E., Associate Civil Engineer at SacSewer.
In total, these five projects connected 219 parcels to SacSewer’s public sewer system and included construction of approximately 51,660 linear feet of new sanitary sewer pipelines. For many residents, the transition has been life-changing—some households had previously limited shower time and daily water use due to deteriorating septic systems.
“I worked with my father, Jose Moreno, in 1969 to install a septic tank at our home during my early childhood, and more than five decades later, this same home is now enjoying public sewer service,” said Mario Moreno, a long-time resident and member of the Hood community. “It’s a good feeling to improve what my father and I built years ago and see the progressing infrastructure of Hood.”
Tran explained that, in addition to dependable sewage disposal, improved protection of regional groundwater and waterways, and long-lasting infrastructure improvements, the communities at large are benefiting from newly paved roads delivered through a partnership with the Sacramento County Department of Transportation.
External funding is the backbone of the entire Program. SacSewer’s project team secured $48 million in grant funding—the majority provided by the State of California, along with federal and Sacramento County grants—ensuring the project could move forward at no cost to residents. These included the State Revolving Fund, the U.S. EPA Community Grant, the Sacramento County’s American Rescue Protection Act Grant, and the Sacramento County Economic Bank Credit. In addition, the non-rate and non-fee funding from SacSewer’s Confluence Program closed remaining funding gaps, ensuring residents received public sewer service without being subsidized by ratepayers.
In early 2018, SacSewer contracted with West Yost to conduct median household income surveys to support grant applications and to prepare a feasibility study evaluating the viability of converting these high-priority communities to public sewer.
“We also completed the preliminary design for the sewer lines for these communities as part of the grant application,” said Monique Day, MS, PE, Principal Engineer at West Yost’s Davis office.
California provides various grants and loan programs to support underprivileged or “disadvantaged” communities in replacing failing septic systems with public sewer connections, thereby enhancing water quality and ensuring public health. Major resources include the State Water Board’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), which offers grants and principal forgiveness, and USDA Rural Development grants for homeowners, often covering connection costs and old tank decommissioning. The CWSRF, a federal-state partnership, provides financial assistance through loans and grants for a variety of wastewater and water quality projects, including connecting communities that rely on septic systems to centralized sewer systems.
California’s Human Right to Water law declares that “every human being has the right to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water suitable for drinking, cooking, and sanitation.” The state is prioritizing this right for disadvantaged communities by supporting funding for septic-to-sewer planning and construction projects. Grants or principal forgiveness (PF) could be accessible for septic-to-sewer initiatives serving small, disadvantaged communities.
“It would have been impossible for these communities to pay the cost of this type of conversion without the help of the federal and state agencies,” said Christina Ramirez, MS, PE, Senior Engineer from West Yost’s Sacramento office.
Launched in 2018, the Program garnered participation through public meetings, community outreach, and surveys to gauge interest from residents and businesses in the identified communities. After majority support was confirmed, SacSewer worked one-on-one with property owners in each community to design connections, decommission septic systems, and complete on-property construction to the public sewer system.
“This Program would not have been completed without the expertise and dedication of the SacSewer team,” Day said. “It reflects a strong collaboration and shared commitment to making this work a district-wide priority.”
My Profile
