New 700,000 Gallon Recycled Water Reservoir to Be Built Atop Tayman Park

A new 700,000 gallon above-ground reservoir atop Tayman Park is planned as part of Healdsburg's

"It's a good first step," said Mike Kirn, Healdsburg Public Works director, in giving Healdsburg City Council members details about the water tank, pumping station and pipeline that will be Phase One of the project.

"We have a great resource that is coming out of our treatment plant," Healdsburg Mayor Tom Chambers said. "I think it's going to be a resource that will become more valuable over time."

Last week, in grants and loans for the Healdsburg recycling project. Of the total, $1 million is from USDA's Rural Development grant program, and $5 million is a low-interest loan.

"It's a very significant milestone," said Councilman Jim Wood about the approval for the project, which he said has triggered at least two trips to Washington, D.C. over the years to lobby for the money.

"It's taken over five years for us to get to this point," Wood said. "I commend our staff for their perserverance."

Treated wastewater from Healdsburg's plant will be used to irrigate local open spaces -- such as schools and parks -- as well as local and regional agricultural crops and vineyards during the dry months. Also, some of the treated wastewater will be channeled to the Geysers geothermal fields to assist with energy production.

"By reinjecting our water, we will be helping to extend the life of those fields," Councilman Gary Plass said. "Even though we all feel that the best use for the water is for irrigation of agriculture, the wastewater won't be going to waste at the geothermal fields."

Kirn said city utility customers will need to absorb a wastewater sewer rate increase to cover the debt service on the $5 million loan.

But Kirn said Monday that the rate increase amount, which has not yet been determined, would be "softened" by the terms of the $5 million loan, which is to be repaid over 40 years at the low rate of 4.25 percent.

high and that the wastewater project would make them higher.

"I don't know how much it will be," Kirn said of the sewer rate increase. "We'll go through the normal public process for a rate adjustment -- a resolution and public hearings and full notification."

Current sewer rates for a typical single home in the city average about $80 a month.

Kirn said he will begin negotiations with a regional Sonoma County board to determine how much of the treated wastewater will stay local and how much will be diverted to Santa Rosa for the pipeline to the Geysers or to other locations.

Kirn said the success in obtaining the federal money hinged on several factors:  support from council; an addendum the city added to its California Environmental Quality Act review; and the completed design work with Santa Rosa for the Geysers pipeline.

"We had a deadline to have everything in by the end of July--and we made it," Kirn said.

"I'm really excited to put this project forward," said Councilman Steve Babb. "It will be put to good use."