Chapter 1 - Executive Summary

1.1 Overall Vision

The Wastewater Utility's mission is to collect and convey wastewater, also known as sewage, to treatment facilities in a manner that protects the health of both the public and the environment. It does this by: (1) maintaining and replacing existing utility infrastructure, and (2) planning for expansion into areas within the City and its Urban Growth Area (UGA) that are currently undeveloped or served by septic systems, also known as onsite sewage systems (OSS).

Under the direction of previous wastewater management plans, utility staff is successfully implementing a comprehensive and effective wastewater program. This Plan provides refinements rather than major changes to the 2013 Plan.

The guiding vision for addressing these two aspects of wastewater management is taken from the Utilities Goals in the City's Comprehensive Plan. For example, Goal GU2 reflects the City's vision for a sustainable future for our community:

Reliable utility service is provided at the lowest reasonable cost, consistent with the City’s aims of environmental stewardship, social equity, economic development and the protection of public health.

With this Plan, the intention is to identify goals and objectives and develop specific strategies to address them. In this way, the Plan provides policy and financial guidance for the Utility in constructing, operating, maintaining, and improving utility infrastructure for the next 20+ years.

The Utility provides a level of service consistent with City and State expectations for protecting public and environmental health as well as ensuring that infrastructure operation, maintenance, and upgrades are proactively completed. Under this Plan, the expected level of service will be maintained.

The Utility is responsible for conveying wastewater flows to the Budd Inlet Treatment Plant, operated by the LOTT Clean Water Alliance (LOTT). While well-coordinated with utility management and this Plan, LOTT is a distinct entity meeting the needs of Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater and Thurston County. More information on LOTT can be found at https://www.lottcleanwater.org/.

This chapter summarizes the challenges identified in this Plan; presents the goals, objectives and strategies that have been developed to address these challenges; and lists the capital projects that have been prioritized for implementation in the next 20+ years. Table 1.1 defines these key planning terms; understanding them will make it easier to see how specific elements of this Plan relate to each other.

Table 1.1

Key Planning Terms
Goals	Broad, qualitative statements of what the Wastewater Utility hopes to achieve.
Objectives	Specific, measurable statements of what will be done to achieve the Goals within a particular time frame.
Strategies	General approaches or methods for achieving Objectives and resolving specific issues. Strategies speak to the question “How will we go about accomplishing our Objectives?”

1.2 Challenges

The Utility faces numerous challenges in providing sewer service consistent with its mission and vision. The 2013 Wastewater Management Plan identified nine key challenges. Since 2013, utility staff have taken major steps to address these challenges; however, some of these and others remain to be addressed in this and future wastewater management plans.

Below is summary of the major challenges now facing the Utility; they are discussed in more detail in Chapter 8:

1. Aging infrastructure – Aging and maintenance-intensive infrastructure poses risks to public health and water quality. Understanding the condition of the Utility's infrastructure assists with replacement and maintenance decisions and is referred to as "asset management". Effective operations and maintenance are critical to the wastewater system.

2. Onsite sewage systems – Although progress has been made on the removal of OSS located within city limits and the urban growth area in recent years, OSS in urban areas continue to threaten ground and surface water quality and public health, particularly in northeast and southeast Olympia.

3. Extending sewer infrastructure to new development – Planned development in Olympia and its UGA requires planning for sewer extensions cost-effectively and equitably.

4. Climate Change – Changing climate in the Pacific Northwest will likely result in increased rainfall and rising sea levels. Increased rainfall and associated flooding could result in increased flows into the combined storm/sewer system. Approximately five wastewater lift stations could be impacted by rising seas. Early adaptation to higher sea levels may allow for continued reliability and lowest reasonable cost. Efforts made by the Utility, such as reducing its energy use and promoting water conservation activities, could assist the community in its efforts to mitigate climate change.

5. Equitable and predictable rates and fees – Creating predictability for customers and developers is difficult in a complex environment. The plan will address the balance between ongoing utility needs and keeping rates as low as possible.

6. STEP Systems – Septic Tank Effluent Pump (STEP) challenge topics include maintenance-lifecycle costs of major components, odor control and corrosion control.

7. Inflow and Infiltration – Inflow and Infiltration (I & I) from groundwater and stormwater can unnecessarily consume pipe and treatment plant capacity. To keep pipe capacities from being exceeded, priority areas for addressing I & I should be identified.

8. Fats, Oils, and Grease – Significant utility staff time is spent on tasks associated with Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG), including educating customers on proper disposal methods, responding to wastewater system blockages and coordinating with LOTT. The Utility's current FOG cleaning program is focused on grease cleaning. To ensure it continues to be addressed, current staffing, anticipated staffing needs and potential opportunities to partner with the City's Storm and Surface Water Utility should be analyzed and identified.

1.3 Summary of Goals, Objectives and Strategies

This Plan establishes seven goals for the next 20 years, with one or more objectives and strategies for each. Chapter 9 explains how the Plan's goals, objectives and strategies address the challenges listed above, and how they are oriented toward the Comprehensive Plan vision of providing “reliable utility service at the lowest reasonable cost, consistent with the City's aims of environmental stewardship, social equity, economic development and the protection of public health.”

Table 1.2. includes the Utility's goals and corresponding objective(s). Under each objective are its respective strategies.

Table 1.2 Goals, Objectives and Strategy Summary

Water Quality Goal Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act standards for nitrogen, fecal coliform and other constituents of concern in groundwater and surface water are met.
Objective 1A	Encourage OSS conversions through the Septic to Sewer Program.
	Strategy 1A1	Complete sewer extensions projects that allow for individual OSS conversions.
	Strategy 1A2	Provide technical assistance and public education for individual and neighborhood OSS conversions to municipal sewer.
Objective 1B	Facilitate the orderly expansion of the public sewer system.
	Strategy 1B1	Give priority to extensions of gravity sewer systems over other sewer types (e.g. STEP, grinder).
	Strategy 1B2	Allow the limited use of STEP systems for OSS conversions and infill development in neighborhoods currently served by STEP systems.
	Strategy 1B3	Explore options for public participation in new lift stations and force mains.
Objective 1C	Eliminate illicit discharges of wastewater into stormwater conveyance pipes and receiving waters.
	Strategy 1C1	In partnership with the City’s Storm and Surface Water Utility, provide timely investigation and response to illicit discharges.
Public Health Goal No one is exposed to sewer overflows or excessive odors.
Objective 2A	Reduce the volume of sewer overflows annually.
	Strategy 2A1	Reduce the number of sewer pipe blockages through continued preventive maintenance activities such as pipe and maintenance hole cleaning, root control and minor repairs.
	Strategy 2A2	Continue to provide adequate resources for improved mapping and documentation of the wastewater pipe system.
	Strategy 2A3	Implement education and enforcement efforts to reduce preventable blockages due to fats, oils and grease (FOG) build-up, with assistance from LOTT.
	Strategy 2A4	Reduce infiltration and inflow in prioritized areas so that pipe capacities are not exceeded.
	Strategy 2A5	During sewer spills and other emergencies, utilize available regional resources through the LOTT Mutual Aid Agreement.
	Strategy 2A6	Improve operations and maintenance capacity by continuing to incorporate new field technologies.
	Strategy 2A7	Use succession planning and new staff on-board training as tools to ensure adequate staff resources.
Objective 2B	Manage odors from sewer systems.
	Strategy 2B1	Investigate odor complaints promptly and resolve as appropriate.
Climate Change Goal The Utility implements all applicable City and region-wide climate change mitigation and adaptation measures.
Objective 3A	Reduce the Wastewater Utility’s greenhouse gas emissions.
	Strategy 3A1	Complete an energy audit for lift stations.
	Strategy 3A2	Develop a sewer force main cleaning program.
	Strategy 3A3	Research opportunities to sell back stored energy to the grid.
	Strategy 3A4	Meet City-wide greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals including those related to fleet and building operations.
	Strategy 3A5	Continue participation in Puget Sound Energy’s Green Power Program.
	Strategy 3A6	Continue implementing green infrastructure project evaluation processes (e.g. Envision) for wastewater capital projects.
	Strategy 3A7	Prioritize Inflow and Infiltration projects in lift station basins with high peak flows.
Objective 3B	Adapt wastewater infrastructure to accommodate predicted sea level rise projections.
	Strategy 3B1	Perform a thorough evaluation of the wastewater infrastructure vulnerability to sea level rise.
	Strategy 3B2	Elevate, flood proof or relocate low-lying lift stations.
	Strategy 3B3	Monitor tidally influenced zones to determine whether hydraulic pressures are increasing Inflow and Infiltration.
	Strategy 3B4	Consider revisions to Engineering Design and Development Standards that take into account infrastructure’s estimated effective life and sea level rise projections.
	Strategy 3B5	Collaborate with the LOTT Clean Water Alliance on winter preparedness and emergency response efforts. Expand efforts to include protection of the combined sewer.
Objective 3C	Adapt wastewater infrastructure to accommodate forecast precipitation trends.
	Strategy 3C1	Track climate science to understand precipitation trends and the implications for future urban and watershed-based flooding.
	Strategy 3C2	Consider revisions to Engineering Design and Development Standards and the Drainage Design and Erosion Control Manual that take into account regional climate model precipitation projections throughout infrastructure estimated effective life.
	Strategy 3C3	Collaborate with the LOTT Clean Water Alliance to separate combined wastewater/stormwater pipes in conjunction with stormwater and road improvements or residential repairs, when economically feasible.
Utility Rates and Fees Goal Utility rates and fees are equitable and affordable, minimizing rate increases while maintaining consistent levels of service.
Objective 4A	Coordinate the financial management of the three water-based utilities so that utility rate increases are distributed over time.
	Strategy 4A1	Conduct regular financial studies, coordinated with other water resource utilities and potentially including LOTT.
Objective 4B	Manage utility rates and connection fees consistent with the City's guiding principle of growth paying for growth.
	Strategy 4B1	Update utility rates and general facility charges (GFCs) to reflect costs of providing needed services, while looking for opportunities to improve the equitable distribution of charges.
	Strategy 4B2	Understand the actual costs of providing service to STEP system customers.
Objective 4C	Use computer-based asset management systems in order to minimize infrastructure life-cycle costs while maintaining a consistent level of service.
	Strategy 4C1	Continue a pipeline condition rating program which tracks the physical integrity of the wastewater pipe system.
	Strategy 4C2	Inspect maintenance holes consistent with the Maintenance Hole Assessment Certification Program for condition rating.
	Strategy 4C3	Based on pipe and maintenance hole condition rating outcomes, complete priority repairs and replacements of pipes and structures.
	Strategy 4C4	Inspect and condition rate lift stations and STEP systems on a regular basis.
	Strategy 4C5	Based on lift station and STEP system condition ratings outcomes, complete priority repairs and replacements of pumping infrastructure.
Integrated Water Resources Goal Water resource utilities are planning together for long-term environmental, economic and social changes.
Objective 5A	Integrate Water Resource activities that share common goals, resources and/or assets.
	Strategy 5A1	Coordinate public education activities with the Drinking Water and Storm and Surface Water Utility.
	Strategy 5A2	Allow and promote greywater subsurface irrigation alternatives in concert with Thurston County.
Informational Goal Customers and the community are informed about and involved in wastewater management activities.
Objective 6A	Keep customers and the community informed and involved.
	Strategy 6A1	Update and expand the Utility's website and other media to disseminate information consistent with the objectives of this Plan.
	Strategy 6A2	Coordinate customer and community education efforts with the other water resource utilities, LOTT and Thurston County Environmental Health.
	Strategy 6A3	Provide adequate resources for public education and involvement.

1.4 Summary of Capital Projects

Table 1.3 lists all of Capital Projects identified in Chapter 10 that are scheduled to be constructed in the next six years. For a complete list of projects for the 20-year planning period, see Chapter 10.

Table 1.3

Six Year List of Capital Projects
Project Name	Description	Cost ($K)	Timing
Program 9021– Asphalt Overlays
Asphalt Overlay	Adjust maintenance hole rims et al. in street right-of-way	$14	Every 3 years
Program 9703 – Replacement and Repairs
Prioritized Repairs	Major repairs using trenchless technologies	$593	Annual
Spot Repairs	Islolated open cut repair work	$134	Annual
Maintenance Hole Repair and Replacement	Addressing structural deficiencies and leaks	$134	Every 3 years
Side Sewer Repairs	Repair City-owned sewer laterals in right-of-way	$30	Annual
STEP Rehabilitation Equipment	Provides equipment needed for STEP system rehabilitation	$233	Annual
Asphalt for Sewer Repairs	Provides asphalt for roadway restoration after sewer repairs	$29	Annual
Program 9806 – Lift Stations
Old Port 1 Construction	Upgrade existing lift station and install new force main	$1607	2020
Miller and Central Upgrade Construction	Upgrade existing lift station and install new force main	$940	2020
Miller and Ann Upgrade Design	Design upgrades to existing lift station	$110	2020
Miller and Ann Upgrade Construction	Upgrade existing lift station	$455	2021
Rossmor Upgrade Design	Design upgrades to existing lift station and new force main	$228	2021
Rossmor Upgrade Contruction	Upgrade existing lift station and install new force main	$948	2022
Old Port II Upgrade Design	Design upgrades to existing lift station and new force main	$354	2023
Old Port II Upgrade Construction	Upgrade existing lift station and install new force main	$1475	2024
Roosevelt & Yew Upgrade Design	Design upgrades to existing lift station and new force main	$292	2025
Program 9808 – Sewer System Planning
Televising and Condition Rating	Ongoing pipe condition monitoring work	$29	Annual
Force Main Condition Assessment	Force main condition monitoring activities	$38	Annual
Asset Management Implementation and Maintenance	Roll out and ongoing maintenance of City Works assess management software system	$29	Annual
Program 9809 – Pipe Extensions
Gravity Sewer Extensions	Provides prioritized extensions of gravity sewer system	$575	2025
AC Force Main Upgrades, Phase I	Replacement of existing AC force mains	$1,035	2025
Program 9810 – Pipe Capacity Upgrades
4th Ave Sewer	Install new gravity main to increase system capacity	$1,550	2021
Jefferson St Sewer (Phase 1)	Install new gravity main to increase system capacity	$2,230	2023
Program 9813 – Onsite Sewage System Conversions
Neighborhood Sewer Program	Extension of public sewer system into neighborhoods	$426	Annual
Program 9903 – Infrastructure Pre-Design and Planning
Pre-Design	Miscellaneous annual projects	$250	Annual
Total 6-year Capital Facility Plan		$23,860
Average Annual Capital Facility Plan		$3,977