Public Works

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

MISSION

The mission of the Public Works Department is to operate and maintain the City’s facilities infrastructures in the most efficient and effective manner possible. Functions include water treatment and distribution; wastewater collection and treatment, streets and drainage, buildings and equipment; and engineering and administration. This Department has 24 full time employees and 7 part time employees to provide these services.

OPERATIONS

We produce over 493 million gallons of drinking water and collect and treat about the same amount of wastewater each year. Our drainage system is a system of street gutters, ditches, and culverts that drain into several natural creeks that discharge in to the Eel River. In engineering we design and construct repairs and improvements for our utility, transportation, drainage, and building systems.

An important role of the City is to provide adequate and safe streets, sidewalks, sewer facilities, water facilities, and flood control facilities to its residents. Another important role is to provide places the community can use for different events. We are fortunate to have two excellent parks, the Firemen's Pavilion, Monday Club, River Lodge, and the buildings in the parks for the residents to use.

Did You Know the City:

Maintains 45 miles of streets, 350 traffic signs, 250 drainage structures, and several miles of drainage pipe?
Maintains 37 miles of waterline, 7 reservoirs, 7 pump stations, and 4 wells?
Maintains 37 miles of sewer pipe and processes 1.2 million gallons of sewage every day?

COSTS

It takes a large amount of money to operate and maintain these systems. The annual “day to day” expense for water is about $800,000 per year, over $1,000,000 per year for sewer, and about $500,000 per year for streets and storm drainage. The city also plans to spend $14 million over the next 5 years on needed improvement projects. This includes $2.9 million for water, $6.5 million for sewer, $3.9 million for streets, $400,000 for drainage, and $400,000 for other facilities.

These costs are necessary so we can maintain the investment we have in our infrastructures by doing required repairs and replacement. The City’s operation cost continues to rise as our population increases. New and expanded facilities are required to meet these needs. The health and environmental laws and regulations are continuing to increase the cost of providing street, storm drainage, water, and wastewater treatment to the City.