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BACKGROUND <br />The City's Sewer Enterprise has been operating and maintaining a wastewater (sewer) <br />collection and pumping system in Pleasanton since the 1920's. The City sewer system <br />currently serves approximately 69,500 residents, representing approximately 19,150 <br />utility accounts or approximately 28,300 dwelling unit equivalents (DUES) as of June 30, <br />2006. <br />The City's sewer facilities are planned, engineered, operated and maintained through <br />the City's Public Works Department. The Department is responsible for operating and <br />maintaining over 270 miles of sewer pipelines, ranging in size from 6 to 33 inches in <br />diameter, and 10 sewage pump stations that transport the City's sewage to the Dublin <br />San Ramon Services District (DSRSD) wastewater treatment plant. Over half of the <br />flow conveyed to the DSRSD wastewater treatment plant requires pumping. <br />The City contracts with DSRSD to treat its wastewater. Wastewater emanating from the <br />City and DSRSD's sewer service areas is treated at the regional wastewater treatment <br />facilities located in the northwest portion of the City Qust south of the intersection of <br />Johnson and Stoneridge Drives). Following the treatment processes, the secondarily <br />treated wastewater is pumped to the Livermore Amador Valley Water Management <br />Agency's (LAVWMA) facilities where it is pumped westerly to a facility near the San <br />Francisco Bay for disposal. LAVWMA is a joint power authority between the cities of <br />Pleasanton and Livermore, and DSRSD. <br />In addition to the daily operation and maintenance of the City's local sewer collection <br />system, the City's Public Works Department also plans for and develops an ongoing <br />program of replacement and improvements to the local sewer system through the City's <br />Capital Improvement Program. Over the past four years, the City has expended <br />approximately $2.6 million for pipeline replacements, pump station improvements, and <br />other projects, and has projected spending between $4 million and $8 million on <br />required sewer system improvements over the next four years. <br />Previous Rate Studies <br />An outside utility management/rate consultant has prepared the City's local sewer rate <br />studies for many years. These local sewer rate analyses have generally been <br />performed in conjunction and concurrently with the regional and local rate studies <br />performed for DSRSD. The City's current Request for Proposals (RFP) to perform the <br />local sewer rate analysis and model preparation will be the first such study conducted <br />independently from those performed in the past as part of the combined regional/local <br />sewer rate studies. <br />Current Local Sewer Rate Structure <br />The local sewer rate is structured to pay for the City's local sewer system, planning, <br />engineering, operations, maintenance, and the renewal and replacement of the <br />collection and pumping systems and related assets. The local sewer rate also pays for <br />the Sewer Enterprise's portion of expenses on a pro rata basis for work by the City's <br />Page 2 of 4 <br />