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Sep 01, 2023Sewer authority awaits results of flood modeling
▸ Government body: Sewer Authority Mid-coastside
▸ Time and date: 7 p.m., Aug. 28
▸ Members present: Debbie Ruddock, Matthew Clark, Kathryn Slater-Carter, Barbara Dye, Deborah Penrose, Peter Dekker.
▸ Staff present: General Manager Kishen Prathivadi, Legal Counsel Jeremy Jungreis, Superintendent of Operations Tim Costello.
▸ Broken pipeline: According to an independent report from the engineering firm Exponent Inc., a section of the sewer authority’s ductile iron pipeline that broke and released wastewater in Moss Beach during last December’s storm was mainly due to “severe external corrosion on the pipe bottom” that accumulated over the years. Additionally, staff wrote that some segments of the pipeline had a significant amount of grit and debris that collected and moved along the bottom, causing the inside liner to erode.
That pipeline, known as the Intertie Pipeline System, had numerous holes in one area, and SAM staff excavated and removed 800 feet of the pipeline on Dec. 31. The pipeline carries untreated sewage from the Montara Pump Station and Vallemar Pump Station south to SAM’s wastewater treatment plant in Half Moon Bay.
As for why these leaks weren’t detected earlier, consultants noted that small breaks from underground sewage pipelines usually aren’t detectable during dry seasons when soils are dry and readily absorbing water. During the storms, overall wastewater flow within the pipeline was seven to 10 times higher than the normal flow rate, likely opening up areas that were already thinned due to corrosion. SAM is planning to replace a large portion of this pipeline in Montara and Moss Beach within the next few years with new material that contains a polymer material that won’t corrode.
▸ Flood modeling: In August 2022, SAM hired Integral Consulting to create flood and sea level rise modeling for the wastewater treatment plant in Half Moon Bay. Last week those consultants gave their first update since March. They are expected to have a final report with recommendations in October.
Consultants found the plant is at risk of periodic flooding from Pilarcitos Creek and the nearby Kehoe drainage channel during storm events, which is what happened last winter. Based on flows observed during the incident, Internal determined that flooding was a 37-year event.
SAM has had previous studies done, including one from the U.S. Geological Survey. The severity of last winter’s storms, which flooded parts of the plant, is both a blessing and a curse, consultants said. It damaged SAM property but it allowed Integral to get a “very unique opportunity for calibration,” said David Revell, a coastal geomorphologist with Integral. The company is creating models for 100- and 500-year flood events and king tide surges with projected sea level rise. A 100-year flood is a flood event that has, on average, a 1 percent of happening each year.
Revell noted adaptation strategies, including raising the berm on the southwest boundary in 3-foot increments, increasing the water storage capacity of a nearby Caltrans wetland. SAM might also turn to vegetation management and even a managed retreat of the facility.
▸ Quote of the day: “Last year we had a really big winter, and coming into this year is a major El Niño, which is often associated with major flood and wave events,” Integral coastal geomorphologist David Revell said. He noted that SAM’s wastewater treatment plant could again face increased creek flows and storm surges with an El Niño weather pattern forecast this winter.
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▸ Government body: Midcoast Community Council
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