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Page 2 of 5 <br />effective January 1, 2026 <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br />Pleasanton does not own or operate a wastewater treatment plant. Instead: <br />• DSRSD treats the majority of Pleasanton's wastewater, approximately 6 million gallons <br />per day (mgd) average dry weather flow (ADWF); and <br />• the City of Livermore treats wastewater from the Ruby Hill development, with flows of <br />approximately 0.25 mgd ADWF. <br /> <br />After secondary treatment at DSRSD or Livermore’s Water Reclamation Plant, treated <br />wastewater is conveyed via the Livermore Amador Valley Wastewater Management Agency <br />(LAVWMA) to the East Bay Dischargers Authority (EBDA) outfall for final disposal, unless it is <br />reused for recycled water. <br /> <br />A Pleasanton sewer bill is comprised of the regional wastewater treatment component, either <br />provided by DSRSD or Livermore, the transport component provided by LAVWMA (included in <br />the treatment charges from DSRSD or Livermore) and finally the local collection component <br />provided by Pleasanton. The portions of the sewer bill associated with the cost of the treatment <br />and transport components are managed by DSRSD and Livermore and said charges are <br />passed through to the customer by the City of Pleasanton. The portion of the sewer bill <br />associated with the local sewer collection system is managed by Pleasanton.     <br /> <br />The City’s Sewer Collection System   <br />The City’s local sewer collection system serves a population of approximately 76,000 in a 25- <br />square mile service area. The collection system consists of approximately 253 miles of gravity <br />sewers, approximately 5.4 miles of force main, 8 siphons, 11 active pump stations, and 21,000 <br />service connections.       <br />   <br />Local City rates are developed to equitably allocate costs to users for asset operations, pay for <br />debt service incurred for the construction of sewer facilities, and to perform the necessary <br />maintenance and repairs (or replacement) of the sewer collection system. The costs also <br />include the labor and pumping charges associated with the collection and pumping of raw <br />sewage to the DSRSD and/or City of Livermore treatment plants. The local portion of the <br />current City rates represents approximately 33 percent of the overall bi-monthly sewer bill.   <br />   <br />In 2010, the City approved a combined water and sewer rate increase of 7.27 percent, <br />followed by five years of annual CPI-based adjustments. In 2015, a similar CPI-based increase <br />policy was approved for another five years. However, the City’s rapid population growth <br />(approximately 5,000 new residents between 2015 and 2020) and system improvement needs <br />were not factored into these adjustments. <br /> <br />The planned 2019 rate study was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Further delays <br />occurred when the City paused the PFAS treatment and well rehabilitation projects to explore <br />alternative water supplies. As a result, there were no water or sewer rate adjustments in 2021, <br />2022, or 2023. In 2023, the City Council approved two years of CPI-based sewer rate <br />increases, effective from January 1, 2024, to June 30, 2024, for the first year and July 1, 2024, <br />for the second year. <br />Page 172 of 226