Triple M Enterprises, Inc. was recently hired by the City of Ripon to perform restoration work at the Waste Water Treatment Plant disposal ponds.

The local business was tasked to skim off the top 4 inches and deep rip, which is mechanically breaking up of the soil layers, to two of the seven disposal ponds located just east of Jack Tone Golf Course.

In his Sept. 10 Ripon City Council meeting staff report, Public Works Director James Pease noted the City of Ripon currently discharges treated wastewater effluent – that’s the liquid waste or sewage discharged into the river – under a Water Discharge Requirement Order, which was issued in 1994 and is monitored by the State of California

This permit allows the city to discharge treated effluent by percolating the water into the soil at those seven disposal ponds, which were impacted by the high volume of rain experienced back in late 2022 / early 2023.

“During this time, the rate of percolation was significantly reduced from what had previously been experienced,” Pease said.

He added: “The rain increased the volume of water that needed to be percolated into the soil.”

In order to mitigate this issue and prevent an unregulated release of the treated effluent, elected leaders approved the following:

·         An emergency contract in March 2023 called for the of the levee surrounding the seven disposal ponds to be increased in order to allow for additional storage.

·         The individual ponds were emptied – once the weather allowed – and the top 4 inches of material at the bottom of the ponds impacted by the percolation rate was removed and the pond was deep ripped.

Work was completed in four of the seven ponds, said Pease on last month’s update.

Triple M Enterprises’ contract – $60,000 is being paid from the Sewer Enterprise Capital Fund – calls for work on two more of the disposal ponds, in turn, leaving one final disposal pond in need of restoration.

“The timing for this work will depend on how soon the pond dries and how much we have before the wet season begins,” Pease said.

Staff, in addition, will be evaluating via electronic monitoring and tracking equipment in an effort to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of the maintenance activities at the Waste Water Treatment Plant.