Monterey One Water backs Salinas effluent deal extension for El Niño readiness
Monterey One Water, California · Meeting date: October 16, 2026 · Published: October 19, 2026
The committee unanimously recommended extending the interim arrangement under which Monterey One Water receives at least 1mgd of treated industrial wastewater from the City of Salinas. The proposed amendment would also set terms for emergency discharges as the parties prepare for El Niño conditions.
Key points
- The interim agreement, executed on 1 May 2025, has already used its initial six-month term and two available six-month extensions, which were limited to 1 November 2026.
- Salinas requested in 2025 that Monterey One Water accept a minimum monthly average of 1mgd of treated industrial wastewater to support pond management.
- Amendment No. 1 would add provisions governing emergency discharges; the parties are still finalising its text.
- The committee’s recommendation was unanimous. Monterey One Water staff expected to take the final amendment to the board on 26 October, subject to approvals by Salinas and the Monterey County Water Resources Agency.
Full report
Monterey One Water’s Recycled Water Committee has unanimously recommended a six-month extension to the interim agreement governing receipt of treated industrial wastewater from the City of Salinas, with new provisions intended to address potential emergency discharges during the El Niño season.
The agreement involves the City of Salinas, Monterey One Water and the Monterey County Water Resources Agency. In 2025, Salinas asked Monterey One Water to receive a minimum monthly average of 1mgd of treated industrial wastewater from the city’s industrial wastewater treatment facility, to assist Salinas with pond management.
Monterey One Water operates and maintains the regional treatment plant, producing secondary effluent that can undergo additional treatment at the Salinas Valley Reclamation Project or the Advanced Water Purification Facility. Secondary effluent not used in those processes is discharged through the agency’s ocean outfall. Salinas operates the collection and conveyance system serving industrial wastewater from agricultural processing businesses and its industrial wastewater treatment facility.
The original interim agreement was executed on 1 May 2025 with a six-month initial term and two potential six-month extensions, not extending beyond 1 November 2026. Both extensions have been exercised. The proposed Amendment No. 1 would retain the original provisions while establishing new conditions for emergency discharges.
Environmental and Regulatory Compliance Supervisor Sarah Stevens told the committee that the parties were collaborating to finalise the amendment. The final agreement is expected to go to the Monterey One Water board on 26 October, provided Salinas and the Water Resources Agency obtain their respective council and board approvals.
The committee recommended that the board approve the amendment and authorise the Executive Officer to execute it, subject to non-substantive revisions required by legal counsel.
The committee also unanimously recommended authorising up to $260,000 of course-of-construction insurance for Monterey One Water’s Energy Production Improvements Project. The policy would be procured through the California Sanitation Risk Management Authority for a project whose construction contract, valued at just over $47 million, was approved by the board in September. Staff said construction is expected to take about three years.
This summary was generated by AI based on the source document and may contain errors.
Source: Recycled Water Committee, Monterey One Water