Lodi, Galt facing fines

Alleged sewer plant violations could add up to hefty penalties

The cities of Lodi and Galt face possible state fines for violating standards for effluent at their wastewater treatment plants during the past eight years, it was announced Thursday.

Lodi has been issued a $21,000 "administrative civil liability complaint" by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, while Galt faces a $108,000 fine. Each city was fined $3,000 per violation, said Ken Landau, assistant executive officer for the water quality board.

The penalties for Lodi and Galt are relatively small compared with other communities, Landau said. The Central Valley water board may consider the complaints in October.

Wendy Wyels, an environmental program manager for the state, was unavailable Thursday to explain specifics about the violations. Landau said he could speak only in general terms about the complaints against Lodi and Galt.

Lodi reportedly had too much pH in its effluent, total coliform organisms and total suspended solids at the city's White Slough wastewater treatment plant, according to the state water board.

Landau said the pH violation is related to how acidic the water is. If it's too high or low, it's bad for fish, he said.

"Suspended solids" is the amount of solid material coming out with the wastewater, Landau added.

Galt faces penalties for residual chlorine, pH, total coliform organisms, "settleable" solids and total suspended solids at its wastewater treatment plant on Twin Cities Road.

Using chlorine is good for wastewater treatment plants, but one needs to get rid of the chlorine after it cleans the water because it kills fish, Landau said. Settleable solids consist of sewage at the bottom of the stream. It needs to be removed because it's also bad for fish, Landau said.

Lodi spokesman Jeff Hood said that the coliform levels at the wastewater plant are actually lower than at Lodi Lake and the Mokelumne River. Many of the White Slough violations took place about the time the city was making its transition to tertiary treatment and ultraviolet disinfection in early 2005. No fish were killed, Hood said.

The violations won't affect the water that Lodi residents drink, Hood said, because the discharges were at White Slough, seven miles west of the Lodi city limits. The discharges then went downstream toward the Pacific Ocean.

"I don't think there's a wastewater plant that's perfect," Hood said.

The city can appeal or seek a settlement with the state water board, but it will be up to the City Council to file an appeal, Hood said.

Galt Public Works Directors Gregg Halladay didn't return calls for comment Thursday afternoon.

Contact reporter Ross Farrow at rossf@lodinews.com.