Improvements to the Ceres wastewater treatment plant which will not only boost capacity as the city grows but also reduce maintenance and operations costs, will be designed after Monday’s Ceres City Council awarding of a $2.8 million contract.
The council approved the agreement with Schneider Electric Buildings Americas, Inc. for turnkey design and construction.
City Engineer Michael Beltran said that the consultants will also be looking into what grants and other funding sources the city may be eligible for.
In April the council heard from representatives of Schneider Electric about the need for improvements to the Morgan Road facility. Specifically an anaerobic digester system is being proposed.
“The current wastewater treatment plant for the city of Ceres is under-capacity, even for the current needs,” said Moses Bchara, Schneider’s wastewater program manager told the council in April. “In addition and more importantly, it could also be a limiting factor for the city of Ceres moving forward with any future development and future expansion.”
Improving the plant would not only accommodate anticipated residential growth, but Ceres would be able to meet increasing state regulations to produce cleaner treated water.
Currently the city deals with sewage and wastewater various ways. Approximately 2.5 million gallons per day go to the Ceres plant. Some of that treated water percolates into the groundwater table while one million gallons of partially treated water per day is piped to the Turlock sewer plant.
Effluent from north Ceres goes to the city of Modesto’s plant and is treated to a level of recycled water clean enough to discharge into the Delta-Mendota Canal via the Del Puerto Irrigation District system.
Ceres spends about $6.6 million annually on operations and maintenance costs, the bulk of that paid to its two neighboring cities. Plant improvements could realize the city a savings of $4 million annually.
The improvements focus on converting from a basic lagoon system to an advanced treatment system while increasing capacity.
“This will bring the city of Ceres to control its own destiny when it comes to treating its own wastewater,” Bchara said in April.
In addition the firm wants to introduce renewable energy sources such as solar and renewable natural gas to reduce the city’s costs for electricity.
The anaerobic digester system will produce biogas for beneficial uses and revenue while reducing greenhouse gases.
Bchara said construction could start in 2025 with the project completed within four years.
“If things go well, we all know, we’re on the cusp of expanding our population tremendously in different parts of our city,” said Ceres Vice Mayor Bret Silveira on Monday, “yet we have no ability to expand our wastewater treatment, sewer or anything similar to that. So it’s pretty obvious, at least to me that we’re at the point in time where we have to do something regarding this.”
He did, however, ask how the project would be paid for.
Beltran said the $2.8 million would be covered by sewer enterprise funds or developer fees for sewer expansion.
Councilwoman Rosalinda Vierra asked if the project could possibly result in higher residential rates. Beltran mentioned a possible need to issue bonds.
“Could it be put on somewhat onto our ratepayers?” rhetorically asked Beltran. “Yes, it could. But I think that that’s a decision as we get closer to the March ’26 area as final design approaches, that’s something we will put forth to this council for your direction.”
