The Wheatland–Olivehurst Public Utility District Regional Wastewater Transmission and Treatment Facilities Project (also referred to as the South County Infrastructure Project) is a multi-phase wastewater conveyance and treatment project that will enable wastewater from the City of Wheatland to be treated by the Olivehurst Public Utility District's more modern plant. The project will:

• Reduce the risk of groundwater and surface water pollution from Wheatland’s aging wastewater treatment plant, which has reached the end of its working life
• Save Wheatland residents thousands of dollars per month in potential rate increases to fund a new Wheatland treatment plant that would otherwise become a reality without this critical upgrade
• Allow septic treatment systems and local sewers across the region to connect to a new wastewater conveyance system

Phase 1 includes building the pipeline connection between Wheatland and OPUD, and upgrading OPUD's facility. Phase 2 involves adding a wastewater and water line down 40 Mile Road. Funding for both phases is in the final stages of being secured.

Wheatland’s wastewater treatment plant was built in the 1960s and has reached the end of its working life. Without this project, the facility is expected to fail within three years. Replacing the Wheatland plant is estimated to cost at least $250 million. The cost to build that would have to be paid by Wheatland's approximately 1,300 ratepayers. Olivehurst Public Utility District’s plant, meanwhile, is only about 20 years old and only using about 50 percent of its capacity.

By connecting Wheatland to OPUD’s wastewater treatment plant, we will make better use of existing local facilities and save local ratepayers thousands of dollars.

This project decommissions Wheatland’s aging plant and creates a regionalized wastewater treatment facility that will benefit significant portions of South Yuba County. Creating a regional system also creates the opportunity for Beale Air Force Base to connect to this system in the future. Beale also has an aging system that is operating beyond its capacity.

The project will provide modern, reliable wastewater service for Wheatland and upgrade OPUD’s existing plant, while protecting surface and groundwater in South Yuba County. It will lower long-term costs for residents. The infrastructure built as part of this project will also enable the economic growth planned for the south part of the county, which is estimated to bring 9,000 jobs to the area.

The initial phases of this project are estimated at $195.5 million:

• Phase 1: $155 million for Wheatland-to-OPUD connection and upgrades to OPUD's plant
• Phase 2: $40.5 million for new lines in south Yuba County

Funding for Phase 1 will come from a mix of state and federal grants, contributions from Wheatland and OPUD and potential financing agreements with local partners like Yuba Water Agency. The State Water Resources Control Board has already committed $75 million toward the project, with several additional grant applications still pending.

This regional approach is designed to minimize rate increases by sharing costs and qualifying for large grants. While some minor increases may be necessary in Wheatland – a few dollars per month – the project avoids the unaffordable rate spikes – potentially thousands of dollars a month for Wheatland ratepayers – that would come with a new standalone Wheatland plant. OPUD rates are not expected to rise as part of this project, though future increases may occur separately to allow for future capital improvements. But, OPUD customers will actually see fewer rate increases in the future than they would without this project, because the facility operations and maintenance costs will be spread out among more ratepayers. Any rate increase will go through the official, legal process with public notice.

If Wheatland were forced to build a new plant on its own, the cost could exceed $250 million – an unaffordable burden on the city’s approximately 1,300 ratepayers and significantly higher than this larger, regional project. The repairs could also be mandated by state regulators, which would remove local control over the solution.

Although Yuba Water is not a municipal water or wastewater provider, the agency is the county’s Groundwater Sustainability Agency and has the expertise and resources to support this complex project, which will protect groundwater and surface water by eliminating discharges into the Bear River during high flows. Yuba Water is providing financial support with a loan to cover the remaining cost of phase 1 construction and provided grant funding for design and permitting. Additionally, Yuba Water is hiring a construction manager and helping facilitate communication and grant administration.

Yuba County has invested $4 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds (a federal grant) to oversize a pipeline and purchase land for settling ponds to support this project. The project aligns with the county’s general plan, which envisions long-term job growth in the south county and the potential for thousands of new jobs.

The partners are exploring the potential for a new regional wastewater authority in the future, which could be formed through a joint powers agreement, or JPA, with representatives from Wheatland, OPUD and Yuba County.

Contracts are expected to go out to bid between October 2025 and early 2026.

A construction manager will be hired to oversee the project. A consultant will administer the financing, grants and reporting requirements.

Two decisions must be made by elected boards: whether to accept grant funding and whether to approve financing. These decisions will be made by the Wheatland City Council and the OPUD Board of Directors.

Although it may appear inefficient, that routing of the pipeline was necessary because the city already has the legal right-of-way for that area, and pursuing a straight pipeline path would have cost significantly more in both time and money.

Wheatland and Yuba County already have general plans that map out future growth in south Yuba County. This project is needed to protect the groundwater and surface water in south Yuba County, regardless of any future development, and to prevent enormous rate increase for Wheatland residents, potentially $1,000 per month or more, to cover the cost of a mandated new facility.

Beale AFB has a wastewater treatment plant on base that is also aging and at capacity, and the pipeline we are building will come within 3 miles of Beale’s existing infrastructure, which could enable a future connection, but that is not part of the current construction plan.

Phase 2 of this project would enable the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Sacramento at Fire Mountain to move forward with its expansion plans, but phase 2 is not currently funded.