Department Information | About Our Department |
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The Department's Water and Wastewater Divisions include skilled operators, mechanics, chemists, and engineers who operate the City's complex drinking water and wastewater facilities and who are committed to providing high-quality utility services to City residents at the lowest possible cost. The City's combined rates for water, sewer, and garbage/recycling services are the lowest in the area. The City's regional water system consists of 190 miles of pipelines, 13 wells, six reservoirs and one treatment plant that deliver clean, safe water to our population of 65,000 customers. Our water conservation program provides incentives to residents and businesses to conserve water, including rebates for the installation of low-flow toilets and water saving washing machines, free low-flow showerheads and hose shut-off nozzles, and educational programs in schools and the community.
The Department's Solid Waste Division staff collects garbage and recyclables The City's Materials Recovery Facility bales the recyclable materials that are shipped off to factories to be made into new products. The Waste and Recycling Drop-off, located at 320 Harvest Drive, is open six days a week, and provides for convenient disposal of extra garbage and recyclables from City residences. Over 70% of all waste generated in Watsonville is recycled. This is one of the highest waste diversion rates in California. Materials that cannot be recycled are trucked to the City's sanitary landfill. The Solid Waste Division also performs street sweeping in the City. The street sweeper cleans all residential streets every two weeks, while heavily traveled streets, such as Main Street, are swept daily. Each year, our street sweepers clean 10,000 miles of streets.
The Facilities and Equipment Division maintains the City's police cars, fire trucks, garbage and recycling trucks, street sweepers, and heavy equipment in addition to cleaning and maintaining 23 City buildings and overseeing the City's Graffiti Removal Program. The Airport Division staff oversees the daily operation and the long-term improvement of the Watsonville Airport, the only public airport in Santa Cruz County. The Department of Public Works and Utilities promotes the efficient and sustainable use of natural resources through a Resource Conservation Program that provides local youth and adults with information and tools to conserve water, prevent pollution, and reduce waste and litter. The Program also includes the Wetlands of Watsonville Nature Center and 7 miles of new slough trails, the Environmental Science Workshop and the Recycling/Water Conservation School Program.
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David A. Koch, Director
Who fixes the potholes, removes graffiti, sweeps the streets, keeps the water flowing, deals with the sewage, repairs street lights, builds nature trails, maintains the fire engines, designs bridges, and empties the garbage and recycle carts? The City's Public Works and Utilities Department, with its seven divisions and a staff of 113 employees, works hard to provide these and other essential services to our residents and businesses.
The City's regional wastewater treatment facility serves Watsonville and four nearby Sanitary Districts. A total of 6.5 million gallons of wastewater flows daily from homes, businesses, and industries through 125 miles of sewer pipeline and 14 pump stations to the Wastewater Treatment Facility located off West Beach Road. In 2009 water recycling commenced, providing up to 1.3 billion gallons per year of safe, high quality irrigation water to the coastal farming community.
The Collections Systems staff, who maintains the sewer systems, also maintains 2000 storm drain inlets, 50 miles of storm water pipeline, and 15 storm water pumps located along Corralitos Creek and the Pajaro River. These dedicated employees are often called out during our worst storms to keep all systems operating smoothly to prevent flooding.
from over 11,000 homes and businesses each week. Watsonville was one of the first cities in the region to initiate automated garbage collection, which greatly increased efficiency and reduced workplace injuries. Watsonville was also one of the first cities in the nation to implement the collection of mixed recyclable materials, which provided a more customer-friendly service and resulted in higher recycling rates.
The Engineering Division oversees most of the City's capital projects and recently completed two bridges, several street projects, and the replacement of aging water and sewer mains in different areas. A computerized Pavement Management Program tracks the condition of City streets and enables the City to prioritize needs and make optimum use of limited street maintenance funds. The Field Services staff performs street repairs, installs signs and striping, and completes a wide variety of construction projects throughout the City.
Our devoted Customer Service Division staff handles over 1000 calls per week, answering questions, handling problems, and arranging for requested services. If you ever have a question, need service, or have a problem to report, please call the Customer Service Hotline at 768-3133. Our staff will try their very best to meet your needs.