Sacramento, California: City Advances Storm Drainage Rate Review as Audit Finds About $4.8 Million Annual Funding Shortfall
The Sacramento City Council in Sacramento, California, on October 27 approved the City Auditor's Storm Drainage Funds Review and started a formal rate-setting process for a drainage system parts of which are more than a century old.
The auditor's review inventoried the system: 1,087 miles of pipelines (868 miles of mains and 219 miles of drain-inlet leads), 132 miles of large-diameter pipe, 21,500 manholes, 76 detention basins and 23 miles of city-maintained levees, with some components over 100 years old.
The audit found that only about 20 to 25 percent of separated pipes have been inspected by closed-circuit television, and roughly 5,800 work orders have been deferred since 2016. At current rates, the drainage funds face a projected shortfall of about $4.8 million a year over the next five years, and balances would be depleted and fall below zero by the early 2030s without changes.
With the review approved, the city will study rate adjustments through the legally required process, with possible changes from 2029 for one fund and 2031 for the other. Any rate change requires public notice and hearings.
City officials said the storm drainage system is central to flood safety, and the review aims to secure enough funding for preventive maintenance as the system ages and extreme rainfall becomes more common, rather than paying for emergency repairs after failures.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 萨克拉门托市政厅塔楼（资料图）。公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Sacramento City Hall tower (file photo). Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
