Proposed Administrative Civil Liability Agreement with the North Tahoe Public Utility District and CalTrans for Discharge to Lake Tahoe, Placer County

Overview

The North Tahoe Public Utility District (NTPUD) provides water, wastewater, and recreation service to the residents and visitors of Kings Beach, Tahoe Vista, Carnelian Bay, Cedar Flat, and Agate Bay. NTPUD is an enrollee of the Statewide Waste Discharge Requirements General Order for Sanitary Sewer Systems, Order WQ 2022-0103-DWQ (Statewide Sanitary Sewer Systems General Order). The Sanitary Sewer Systems General Order regulates systems that convey sewage and addresses sanitary sewer spills with monitoring and reporting requirements. The Sanitary Sewer Systems General Order prohibits the discharge of sewage to waters of the State (section 4.2).

California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is subject to the requirements of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Statewide Stormwater Permit and Waste Discharge Requirements, Order No. 2022-0033-DWQ, NPDES No. CAS000003 (Statewide Permit). The Statewide Permit covers discharges of stormwater and conditionally exempt non-stormwater from Caltrans municipal separate storm sewer systems. The Statewide Permit prohibits the discharge of waste, including sewage, to waters of the United States (section 3.7).

On July 18, 2024, a subcontractor was working on a Caltrans pedestrian crossing project within the Caltrans right-of-way on Hwy 28/North Lake Blvd and punctured a 24-inch diameter sewer force main. The sewer force main is owned and operated by NTPUD and is the main pipeline in the collection system for transporting raw sewage out of the Lake Tahoe area. An estimated total of 122,800 gallons of raw sewage spilled between two locations: Spill Site #1 was at the force main strike along Hwy 28/North Lake Blvd and Spill Site #2 was near NTPUD’s upstream lift station on Onyx St. Spill Site #1 is the subject of the alleged violation. The total volume of raw sewage originating from the force main break at Spill Site #1 is estimated at 103,300 gallons, of which an estimated 18,300 gallons was contained and returned to the sanitary sewer system, while an estimated 85,000 gallons flowed through the parking lot and discharged to Lake Tahoe at Carnelian West Beach.

The Lahontan Water Board’s Prosecution Team alleges that the discharge of 85,000 gallons of untreated raw sewage to Lake Tahoe violates NTPUD and CalTrans respective permits, the Water Quality Control Plan for the Lahontan Region (Basin Plan) prohibition of unauthorized discharge of waste to waters of the state, California Water Code Section 13376, and Federal Clean Water Act Section 301.

To settle the alleged violations, the Lahontan Water Board’s Prosecution Team, NTPUD, and CalTrans have agreed to the imposition of an administrative civil liability of $850,000. Of this amount, $5,000 will be paid to the State Water Pollution Cleanup and Abatement Account. The remaining $845,000 will be permanently suspended upon completion of the Secline Beach Supplemental Environmental Project. The alleged violations and proposed settlement are described in more detail in the proposed settlement agreement, linked below.

The proposed settlement agreement is now available for a 30-day public comment period. Comments are due by August 8, 2025 and may be submitted via email to RB6-Lahontan@waterboards.ca.gov.

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