October 2009 - South Tahoe Public Utility District

Section 1: Introduction
The purpose of this document is to present a Master Plan of projects for the South Tahoe Public
Utility District‟s recycled water and fresh water programs into the year 2028 and beyond.
1.1 Background
This section provides background information relevant to the South Tahoe Public Utility District‟s
Alpine County operations and facilities. The District‟s interest in Alpine County is to preserve
the practice of storage and application of recycled water in a manner which will benefit the local
agricultural community, protect the environment, comply with regulations, and support the
obligations of the District Board to its ratepayers. This section provides an introduction to the
history, agreements, and practices that have shaped the existing recycled water operations in
Alpine County.
1.1.1 Porter-Cologne Water Quality Act
California„s primary statute governing water quality and water pollution issues is the Porter-
Cologne Water Quality Control Act of 1970 (Porter-Cologne Act) which falls under the State
Water Code, Division 7. The Porter-Cologne Act grants the State Water Resources Control
Board (SWRCB) and Regional Water Quality Control Boards (RWQCB) broad powers to protect
water quality and is the primary vehicle for implementation of California‟s responsibilities under
the federal Clean Water Act. The Porter-Cologne Act grants the SWRCB and the RWQCBs
authority and responsibility to adopt plans and policies, to regulate discharges to surface and
groundwater, to regulate waste disposal sites and to require cleanup of discharges of hazardous
materials and other pollutants. The Porter-Cologne Act also establishes reporting requirements
for unintended discharges of any hazardous substance, sewage, or oil or petroleum product.
In 1964 the California State Legislature started discussions regarding the development of the
Porter-Cologne Water Quality Act provisions for the protection of Lake Tahoe. In anticipation of
the implementation of the act in 1969 the District embarked on what would become a long-term
partnership with Alpine County and Alpine County ranching interests. The catalyst of the export
pipeline project that conveys recycled water from the Tahoe Basin into Alpine County was the
text developed in Section 13951:
“Notwithstanding any other provision of law, on or after January 1, 1972, waste from
within the Lake Tahoe watershed shall be placed only into a sewer system and
treatment facilities sufficient to handle and treat any such waste and transportation
facilities sufficient to transport any resultant effluent outside the Lake Tahoe watershed,
except that such waste may be placed in a holding tank which is pumped and
transported to such treatment and transportation facilities.”
The Porter-Cologne Act also provides for the use of recycled water according to a uniform
statewide reclamation criterion that specifies that the use of recycled water “does not cause,
constitute, or contribute to, any form of contamination.” This act allows Regional Boards to
issue permits to individual contract irrigators for proper use, application and management of
recycled water.
South Tahoe Public Utility District
Recycled Water Facilities Master Plan - October 2009 Page 1-1