The city is one of only two in California and four on the West Coast still operating a combined sewer system—a century-old design where stormwater and sewage flow through the same pipes.
Sacramento's combined sewer system (CSS) stretches across 7,500 acres in neighborhoods like downtown, east Sacramento, Oak Park and Land Park. The system serves 300,000 residents, at least ten times the population when it was built.
The city stopped building combined sewers in 1946, but maintenance and new technology allow the City of Sacramento to run the system up to full capacity, if needed, during big storms.
Meyer is a veteran of the system with nearly two decades of experience and says he is confident in the combined system, even with its age, noting that the options to separate the pipes into stormwater and sewage water would be costly and disruptive.
What happens when the sewer system fails?
Videos posted online from 2021 from residents in east Sacramento show flooding that included sewage after a storm. To understand the system's flaws, it's best to understand how it works.
Approximately 11,300 acres within the city contribute flows to the CSS. This total includes approximately 7,500 acres within the downtown, east Sacramento, and Land Park communities, which contribute sanitary sewage and storm drainage flows to the CSS. Approximately 3,700 acres within the east Sacramento and River Park communities, as well as Sacramento State, contribute sanitary sewer flows only, and the remaining 100 acres contribute storm drainage flows only.
Based on the city's contract with the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District, the city can convey a maximum of 60 million gallons per day to the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant prior to discharge to the Sacramento River. When the flow rate exceeds 60 million gallons per day, the Combined Wastewater Treatment Plant and Pioneer Reservoir are utilized to provide treatment and disinfection for an additional 130 million gallons per day.
"In the event that we surpass all of our storage capability. That is when the treated water is then discharged out into the Sacramento River. That happened four times this year [and there were] no untreated discharges this year," Meyer said.
"Because we also disinfect, you get that added layer in the combined system that you don't get at a conventional storm station. We feel that the combined system does a really good job," Meyer said.
"To separate the storm and sewer systems would cost billions and triple utility bills," former Sacramento Councilmember Jeff Harris warned. "It's just not feasible."
"These vaults are essential," a city engineer said. "They're out of sight, but they protect entire neighborhoods from flooding and sewage backups."
Organizations like the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) are calling for even more proactive efforts, especially water conservation. Using less water reduces strain on the CSS, making room for stormwater during wet events.
What you can do: Water conservation and awareness matter
Every flush, every faucet, every rainstorm — how we use water matters. While Sacramento's infrastructure may be rooted in the past, its future depends on planning, innovation, and public awareness.
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