With dealings with nearly every city and county government entity, the Amador Water Agency has relationships of varying complexity that are bound to cause some ripples. As of late, some of those relationships have become strained by policy issues as the agency and local government entities attempt to navigate a growing pool of water issues.

Recently, the water agency came under some scrutiny when the county Public Works Agency raised their frustrations with about $33,000 in unpaid invoices it has been trying to collect from the agency for almost a year.

The agency disputes the invoices explaining they believe the county was overcharged by a contractor for services on a water agency project. Instead of looking into the possibility of being overcharged, the county passed the cost on to the agency, according to AWA Manager of Engineering and Planning Gene Mancebo.

Both sides state they would like to resolve their differences, but scheduling conflicts have prevented the two entities from talking about a solution.

The water agency and the city of Sutter Creek also have some meetings to schedule, with their questions ranging from which city will be the regional wastewater solution to who is responsible for overburdening Sutter Creek's current wastewater system.

The city of Jackson has, for the most part, resolved its issues with the water agency over its proposed rate increases for Jackson residents.

The city of Ione has some differences to work out as well.

And as for Plymouth, working on the pipeline project has been comparatively smooth sailing with minimal "differences" between it and the water agency.

The county

At a recent county administrative committee meeting, Public Works Agency Director Larry Peterson informed committee members supervisors Richard Forster and Louis Boitano that the agency kept trying to collect almost a year overdue money from the water agency for unpaid inspection invoices. The supervisors ordered the county auditor to hold a check to the water agency until the county received some answers.

It expected to get those answers - or some of them - at a Wednesday afternoon meeting last week when Peterson and County Counsel Martha Shaver were set to meet with Mancebo and the water agency's attorney about an encroachment permit the water agency needs from the county to complete sections of the Plymouth pipeline project.

The meeting took place. Details of the encroachment permit were reviewed and the county held issuing the permit until a few more questions are answered.

"In some regards we have our differences," Peterson said. One of which is who is responsible for the roads affected by pipeline construction and to what degree the water agency should fix the road. The agency maintains that it will return the status of any dissected road to equal or better conditions but it will not pay for road improvements that are the county's responsibility.

"If we damage the roadway, we'll fix it," Abercrombie said, "but the water rate payers should not be obligated to fix a county road."

The county argues that if the pipeline alters the road, then the agency should pay for that alteration, Peterson said. The outcome of that difference remains unknown for now.

At the end of a meeting he said "went very well," the unpaid invoices were discussed "briefly," Peterson said, with both sides agreeing to schedule another meeting at a yet-to-be-set date.

Public works and the water agency maintain that despite some of these issues, the working relationship between them is constructive.

"Our working relationship with the agency is one of cooperation and coordinating," Peterson said. "That's key for us and it's something they focus on."

The agency agreed saying, "Part of doing business is you're going to have a difference of opinion," Abercrombie said. "The way you deal with it is you set up a communication process so openly and honestly you can discuss and understand the other view point and hopefully come to a consensus."

Sutter Creek

A certain amount of competition has existed between the city and the water agency. But that's bound to happen, said Sutter Creek City Manager Rob Duke, when "the Amador Water Agency and the city of Sutter Creek made policy decisions at the board levels that created an inevitable rivalry between both agencies because both are proceeding with sewer plant upgrades."

About two years ago the agency and Sutter Creek developed drafts of their regional studies for a waste water solution. The water agency's plan, however, didn't include Sutter Creek's needs, Duke said. So the city hired an outside engineering and consulting firm, HDR, to "give us a more respected analysis and a basis for us to say (the agency's) plan is not adequate," Duke said.

HDR evaluated three waste water options - Sutter Creek or the water agency as the regional solution or a joint solution with waste water split between the Sutter Creek and water agency plants. It and found the best option was regionalizing the Sutter Creek plant.

A few months ago Sutter Creek decided to move forward with plans to upgrade their existing plant to tertiary level and become the possible regional solution. Whether or not the water agency will participate in that option is something the agency's board of directors is expected to decide in the next few months, Abercrombie said.

"I think most people agree (the agency's plan) is a good plan," Abercrombie said. "Sutter Creek disagrees with it, which certainly is their right. The agency still believes the Martell waste water site and regional site there would be a good benefit for the county."

More recently, Sutter Creek announced its plant is not using about 100,000 gallons of its capacity because of an overflow in biological oxygen demands that clog its system.

Duke said the city isolated the lines leading to the treatment plant and preliminary estimates show that customers in the Martell business park area, who are under the water agency's jurisdiction, are exceeding their bod limits by about 200 BODs.

The reason for the excess could be inconsistent use of grease traps, which are supposed to be pumped on varying time tables pending on the amount of fatty items such as grease or cream, restaurants or bakeries are putting down their drains.

This finding is something the agency disputes saying "I think the capacity is limited because of the facility itself," Abercrombie said. "I'm a little surprised they try and blame their capacity just at the agency. We need to work together with Sutter Creek to see how we can reduce any BODs to help the city out."

But still, at the end of the day, both sides say they would rather find a way to work together than continue in disconcert.

Of the agency's relationship with the city, Abercrombie said, "I think it's good most of the time. I think sometimes communication could be improved."

For Duke, communication could also use improvement. "I'll be the first to admit that if there are communication problems between Sutter Creek and the agency, it's at the executive level," Duke said.

The remainder

As for the remaining cities, rate increases, pipeline installations and back wash flow are all issues for the water agency and those cities.

The city of Plymouth's Interim City Administrator Gene Albaugh said the city and the agency's relationship is "very good." Both entities are in the process of building a pipeline to bring water to the city to help Plymouth meet its water needs.

"We might have some differences on the cost of water operations and waste water," Albaugh said. "We don't always agree on everything but that's natural between two agencies - normal in fact. If you didn't have that, I'd be concerned."

The pipeline project needs to complete the right of way acquisitions before the project goes out to bid, Mancebo said.

"In every dealing the agency has with the city of Plymouth, working with Gene Albaugh is very professional and just very constructive," Abercrombie said. "It's just a pleasure dealing with him."

Small resources, big tasks

In the end, the agency and other county entities acknowledge that communication break downs can add to any frustrations, tensions or "differences" among the groups. It's something each group wants to improve for the good of themselves and for the good of the county.

"In Amador County we have a small staff, complicated projects and it takes an intense effort to get things up and running," Peterson said. "I think the public gets frustrated with the length of time but with a small staff and limited resources, we get a lot done."