Carson City Public Works hosted a meeting on Nov. 14 at 5:30 pm in the Gym at the Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William Street. A presentation was shown of the project history and what can be expected during construction.  See recording of video below. 

What this project will provide property owners:

• New sewer lateral from the main to the property line, including cleanout.

What will be required of property owners/occupants:

• Work cooperatively with design engineer to locate septic tank and select the best route for new sewer lateral (service line).
• Property owners will be encouraged to connect to the City's sanitary sewer system as soon as possible after project completion. However, ultimate timeframes to connect to municipal sewer, including mandatory connection periods for abandonment of the individual sewage disposal system (ISDS) once the property owner is notified of project completion, will be determined by the Board of Supervisors. Connection will help Public Works to continue to provide safe drinking water to users.

What costs will property owners be responsible for?

• Construction of the sewer lateral from their residence to the point of connection at the property line provided by City.
• Abandonment of septic tank.
• If connected to the new sewer lateral within the specified fee waiver period, ultimately determined by the Board of Supervisors, the building permit fee, sewer connection fee, and septic abandonment fee will be waived.
• Once connected to the new system, a charge for sanitary sewer service will be included in the monthly utility bill you already receive from the City.

Carson City has developed a project that will reduce nitrates from septic tanks entering the groundwater in your neighborhood. Currently, there are about 140 homes contributing to the nitrate contamination of the groundwater aquifer due to the large number and age of septic tanks in your neighborhood. Once an aquifer is contaminated it is very expensive to treat and takes decades to remove the nitrate contamination; it can also be unsafe to drink.

Carson City Wells ^#38 and ^#43 are in the southeast area of Carson City and in the immediate vicinity of the project location. Well ^#38 is not in operation, as the City is currently evaluating options to remove nitrates at the well site. Well ^#43 is in operation but nitrate levels continue to rise, and the well is in jeopardy of being taken out of service. Monitoring and testing at the well sites determined that the contamination is coming from the high number of septic systems, is worsening with time, and has the potential to further contaminate the groundwater.

Much of the community’s drinking water supply comes from wells. If the nitrate contamination of groundwater is not addressed, the public drinking water supply could become unsafe for human consumption and would require expensive water treatment processes, resulting in significant limitations on pumping capacities and water production. It is imperative to protect the aquifer from additional contamination. This project is part of multi-phase program completed over the last 30 years to reduce nitrate contamination of our groundwater; 9 phases have been completed to date.

The following pictures are examples of typical construction that will be required in your area. 

The City will construct a sewer lateral from the main to each property to facilitate sewage collection from your home and convey it to a regional treatment facility for treatment. The goal of this project is to protect the groundwater in your area from being further contaminated. Once the sewer collection system construction is completed and operational, you will be notified that the sewer is available for connection.

Evaluation of Possible Causes of Nitrate Contamination in Ground Water – Southeast Carson City

Sewer Extension Program Alt Analysis for Phases 9,10,12 - Final

Nitrate and Ammonia in Shallow Ground Water, Carson City Urban Area, Nevada, 1989

The Distribution and Modeling of Nitrate Transport in the Carson Valley Alluvial Aquifer, Douglas County, Nevada

11-14 Public Meeting Exhibits

For additional information about the health effects of nitrates(sewage) in drinking water supplies and for a project schedule including ongoing updates, reach out to:

Darren Anderson | Senior Project Manager | 3505 Butti Way Carson City, NV 89701 | (775) 283-7584 | danderson@carsoncity.gov