The night of June 18 was a busy one for the North Tahoe Public Utility District as contractor RDC installed bypass valves for the sewer system.e 

Installation of these 24-inches valves at the Carnelian Bay Sewer Pump Station will allow for full rehabilitation of the pump station as well as providing additional and easier bypass operations in an emergency. This force main carries all the sewer east of Carnelian Bay.

Crews work on the NTPUD sewer line on June 18. Photo/Provided

Taking it off line, even in the middle of the night, required an army of 10 tanker trucks ranging in size from 3,400-5,000 gallons to manually truck the sewage past this force main system. 

This $2.7 million project will complete the rehabilitation of three of the district’s four main sewer pump stations. The rehabilitation includes replacement of all major mechanical components (pump, motors, controls) as well as rehabilitation of the wet and dry wells.

These pump stations were initially constructed in 1969.  At that time, the population for Kings Beach and Tahoe Vista was expected to reach more than 42,000 people and the sewer system was designed to accommodate all those residents. In addition to updating our system, these rehabilitation projects also allow the district “right size” the pumps and motors so they are more efficient and use less power. 

This project is expected to be completed in November 2017.