With a vote to draft a Joint Powers Authority, the City of Bishop and Eastern Sierra
Community Service District took one more step toward joining forces to deal with waste water.
The two entities already shared the cost of a combined effluent study last year. In
addition to some efficiency of size, the two waste water treatment facilities are within 70-feet
of each other and share the same area for spreading effluent. It’s that effluent that started this
process.
Councilmembers Stephen Muchovej and Chris Costello reported the results of
discussions and facility tour at Monday’s Council meeting. The Bishop facility is not near
capacity, but ESCSD is. If combined, 350 acres would be required to satisfy the Lahontan
Regional Water Quality Control Board. Both plants current spread on a Los Angeles Department
of Water and Power lease.
The decision to form a JPA was based on the ease with which land to spread the
processed waste water could be acquired. Farther in the future could be a new plant with the
capacity to handle the combined flow. An Authority, as opposed to a Joint Powers Agreement,
would be the optimum vehicle to acquire land and build a new plant in the future.
Nothing is written in stone, but with a JPA, the stone is already in place.

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