WILLIAMS, CA (MPG) — The Williams City Council has authorized a memorandum of understanding with the Arbuckle Public Utilities District to continue accepting and treating wastewater from the neighboring community. The agreement formalizes an arrangement that began earlier this summer.
Since June, Williams has received about 100,000 gallons of Arbuckle’s wastewater each day at a rate of five cents per gallon. City Administrator Frank Kennedy said that volume represents roughly 22 to 25 percent of the city’s daily wastewater load.
Through August, Williams had taken in more than 9.7 million gallons, generating nearly $487,000 in revenue. Kennedy said all payments have been made promptly and deposited into the city’s wastewater enterprise fund.
He added that the state has issued a “comfort letter,” granting flexibility on certain compliance requirements while Williams accepts Arbuckle’s flows. The city has also asked regulators to raise its permitted discharge limit from 500,000 gallons per day to 700,000, which Kennedy said would allow for future growth and capacity.
Councilmember Kate Dunlap questioned whether the agreement set a timeline for Arbuckle to resolve its wastewater issues.
“I didn’t happen to see a sunset date on this,” Dunlap said. “Does APUD have an estimation of when they will resolve their issues?”
Kennedy said Arbuckle has not identified a long-term fix. Its current pond system is no longer viable, and options such as land application are limited by the lack of suitable acreage. Other possibilities include building a pipeline to Williams or constructing a new treatment plant, which Kennedy estimated could take five to seven years and cost up to $30 million.
“For now, we will accept it minimally as long as they are paying us,” Kennedy said. “But we don’t know when their money is going to run out. After that, who knows what’s going to happen?”
Dunlap pressed further, asking whether Williams could be compelled to accept Arbuckle’s wastewater without payment if APUD ran short of funds.
Under the agreement, City Attorney Andreas Booher said, Williams is not obligated to do so.
“But what the state might compel us to do, that might be different,” he added.
The MOU allows either party to terminate with 60 days’ notice. Arbuckle is responsible for transporting its wastewater to Williams and must maintain insurance and safety standards. At the current rate of $2.5 million annually, Kennedy said Arbuckle could eventually run out of money, at which point the state may step in.