The Department of Utilities is responsible for delivering high quality water to your faucet, treating wastewater, refuse collection, recycling, operating the Santa Maria Regional Landfill and its Household Hazardous Waste Facility, street sweeping, and regulatory compliance. The Water Resources Operation and Maintenance Section is responsible for supplying residents with an adequate supply of potable water for domestic, industrial, and fire protection purposes. This includes imported State Water, maintaining wells and City reservoirs that have a total capacity of 20 million gallons, and over 450 miles of water mains. Solid Waste Collection and Disposal Services consist of six distinct areas: Refuse collection/residential; refuse collection/commercial; landfill disposal operations, street sweeping, recycling operations, and regulatory compliance.

2065 E. Main Street Santa Maria, CA 93454

Water and Sewer Rate Increase Notification

Residential Solid Waste Fees Increase Notification

RICHARD G. SWEET Director of Utilities City Phone: (805) 925.0951 x7211 City Fax: (805) 928-7240 E-Mail

EDUCATION & EMPLOYMENT:

• Registered Professional Engineer, State of California
• BS Civil Engineering, California State University, Fresno
• Director of Public Works/City Engineer - City of Santa Maria
• Transportation Engineer - Caltrans
• Assistant Civil Engineer - City of Santa Maria
• Associate Civil Engineer - City of Santa Maria
• City Engineer - City of Santa Maria

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:

• Chairman, Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce Transportation Committee
• Past President, Sunrise Lions Club
• Past President, Central Coast Chapter, American Public Works Association
• Past President, Central Coast Chapter, National Society of Professional Engineers
• Past President, Tailwinds Bicycle Club
• Communications Director, Team Tailwinds Bicycle Racing Team

PERSONAL:

• Marital status: Married
• Children: One
• General interests: Raising daughter, riding bicycles, gardening, home improvement, travel and transportation

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES:

Director of the City's Utilities Department. Responsibilities are:

• Water Services
• Wastewater Services
• Solid Waste & Landfill Services
• Starting and Discontinuing Utility Service

You can review the City's Annual Water Quality Report on this website.

HOW TO REPORT UNSAFE CONDITIONS

To report unsafe water or wastewater (sewer) conditions contact the Utilities Department at (805) 925-0951 extension 7270.

Mission Statement To provide efficient utility services through the use of progressive innovation, excellent customer service, and the wise use of public resources for the long-term benefit of the community.

2012-13 Goals/Objectives

1. Continue expansion of Fixed Base Meter Reading Program beyond the 8,100 accounts already converted to maximize operational efficiencies and personnel resources.
2. Continue to build upon the success of telephone notification of delinquent bills, with the goal of achieving an increase in contacts with customers.
3. Continue expansion of the secondary irrigation system for delivery of untreated groundwater to large landscaped areas, thereby saving valuable State Water and providing a cost savings to the General Fund.
4. Implement a long-term percolation pond operation and maintenance program for improved and sustained effluent disposal capacity, thereby meeting projected population growth and postponing the needs for a $5 million capital expenditure to construct a new percolation pond.
5. Participate in a regional Salt & Nutrient Management Stakeholders process to address the deficiencies in the Santa Maria Groundwater Basin that will preserve the basin’s ability to provide stable domestic and agriculture water supply.
6. Rebuild the Wastewater Treatment Plant’s primary clarifier #1’s internal mechanism and return it to service.
7. Begin the Utility Master Plan update process to properly assess water and wastewater infrastructure needs that will support the City’s vision as defined in the General Plan.
8. Continue to work with the RWQCB to implement Hydromodification Control and Low Impact Development, in order to comply with the City’s stormwater permit and ensure fulfillment of the City’s General Plan.
9. Initiate a Local Limit Study, to effectively amend Santa Maria Municipal Code Chapter 8-12 “Wastewater, Treatment and Disposal”, comply with the requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency, and preserve the stable, efficient and effective operation of the WWTP.
10. Complete the change-out of all refuse and recycling containers to the current standardized version. This change-out will replace old containers, that have exceeded the projected lifespan, with newer containers that are better capable of withstanding winds, thereby reducing windblown litter.
11. Install on-board scales on the commercial refuse trucks to eliminate overloading issues, optimize collection operations for efficiency and eliminate the chance of being overloaded on the City streets as underweight vehicles decrease production efficiency and create undue wear on the vehicles, while overweight vehicles are against the law and subject to fines by the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
12. Design and construct a new wash rack system at the landfill, allowing multiple trucks to be washed at the same time, using less staff time and prolonging the life of the equipment. This modification will assist in achieving higher staff efficiency and productivity, with less staff time spent waiting for an open wash station.
13. Complete resurfacing and striping of the main roadway at the landfill to provide customers with a safe and well-maintained travel-way to landfill services.
14. Present an Open Space Management Plan for the Integrated Waste Management Facility at Los Flores Ranch Park to the City Council and to the public, that identifies long-term passive uses at the park before and during commencement of the on-site landfill operations, as well as sites and methods to mitigate the landfill’s environmental effects.