Position E-mail links: Public Works Director (and Building Official) Interim Public Works Supervisor Secretary      City-wide Yard Sale

 

Public Works Department

Ted Johnston,
Public Works Director

The Public Works and Building Departments, with a staff of 34 employees, provides many of the basic services that affect the daily lives of everyone who lives and works in the City of Ripon. Things we take for granted -- safe drinking water, refuse collected, environmentally safe sewer treatment, and safe and clean streets are included in the responsibilities of the Public Works Department. The Department is also charged with protecting the longevity of all City facilities, streets, storm drainage system, water facilities, as well as all of the cities owned vehicles and buildings.

The Public Works Department is organized into eight divisions.

• Building Inspections
• Water Treatment and Distribution
• Wastewater Treatment and Collection
• Building and Ground Maintenance
• Vehicle and Equipment Maintenance
• Parks and Landscape Maintenance
• Street and Sign Maintenance
• Refuse Collection

Building Inspection

The Building Inspection Division of the Public Works Department is overseen by the Director of Pubic Works\Building Official. The department is staffed with a Chief Building Inspector and one Building Inspector. All of the Department staff are ICBO Certified Inspectors.

The Building Department’s primary responsibility is to ensure safety to life and property from all hazards incidental to the design, erection, repair, removal, demolition or use and the occupancy of building, structures or premises through the enforcement of City zoning regulations and state and local building codes.



Water Department

Water Production

The City operates and maintains six (6) Wells, with a total pumping capacity of 5,500 GPM. A 500,000 gallon storage tank and booster pumping facility can supply an additional 5,000 GPM when needed.

• The Public Works Department has three (3) State of California Certified Treatment Operators on staff for the operation of the City of Ripon’s treatment process.
• Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filters are in operation at Wells #4 and #9. These filters are used to removed Organic Chemicals, which are present in the ground water, which exceed the EPA’s Maximum Contaminate Levels (MCL).
• The chlorination of the water distribution system consists the injection of 12.5% Sodium Hydrochloride solution into the water distribution piping at each of the well sites.

Distribution System Maintenance

• 
  The Department maintains the Distribution System throughout the year by making sure all hydrants, valves, and pumps are in good working order and maintaining all pumping stations and well houses.
• The City has nine (9) State of California Certified Water Distribution System Operators on staff for the operation of the Distribution System.
• The Distribution System consists of approximately 40 miles of water piping connecting to 3,173 services, 375 fire hydrants, and 600 valves.
• Water meters are installed, maintained and read monthly on 276 commercial, industrial and multi-family services monthly.
• We provide service shut-offs for non-payment and repairs.

Water Monitoring

 

• Ensures system compliance with state and federal regulations, the City continually samples all well sites, storage facilities and the distribution system. Each year the City spends approximately $30,000 on water testing by a certified lab to ensure water quality.
• Weekly biological samples are performed on the distribution system for biological analysis to ensure safe water is delivered for customer service.
• ? Monthly, quarterly and annual water quality-monitoring reports are provided to the State Department of Drinking Water.

Wastewater

The Public Works Department has three (3) State of California Certified Operators who protects the health and welfare of the community by ensuring the continuous uninterrupted operation of the wastewater collection treatment and disposal. The wastewater collection plant is closely monitored to ensure the proper operation of the treatment. Samples are taken weekly and sent to a certified lavatory for analysis. Last year $25,000 were spent on these analyses. Monitoring is reported to the state water resource board on weekly, monthly, and quarterly intervals.

Wastewater Collection System

The Public Works Department maintains approximately 40 miles of sewer collection system piping and approximately 30 miles of storm drain piping. We provide operation and maintenance of six (6) wastewater and three (3) storm drain pumping stations.

Treatment

The treatment plant is permitted for 1.4 Million Gallons per Day (MGD) and is currently processing 1 MGD. Last year the City’s treatment plant processed 367 Million Gallons of Wastewater. The facility is located at the south-end of Acacia Avenue and consists of 15 acres of treatment ponds with four (4) 10 hp mechanical brush aerators, which provides additional oxygen transfer for the biological treatment process.

Treated wastewater is disposed into forty (40) acres of disposal ponds located to the west of the treatment ponds.

 

Building Maintenance

The Public Works Department maintains twelve (12) buildings within the City. These include the larger facilities such as City Hall/Police Department and the Community Center to the smaller facilities such as park restrooms.

Custodial services for many city owned buildings and maintenance are a clean, safe, functional and in presentable condition. Maintain and repair all city owned facilities. Services included electrical, plumbing, HVAC, carpentry, painting, and general maintenance.

Vehicle and Equipment Maintenance

The Public Works Department is charged with the responsibly to maintain all city vehicles and equipment. The City Mechanic is an ASC certified mechanic who maintains all of the city’s vehicles and equipment from the large refuse truck and tractors to the small powered hand tools. All vehicles and equipment are maintained to the highest degree to ensure employee and public safety and the longevity of our vehicles and equipment.

Parks

The Parks Department keeps Ripon’s 14 parks safe, functional, and attractive for residents and visitors. The Department also keeps areas around cities own facilities and median islands to top form with turf and horticulture maintenance, litter removal and pest control to achieve high quality standards.

Streets

The Public Works Department is responsible for maintaining clean, safe and usable streets by performing asphalt patching, paint stripping, crack sealing, and street sweeping of approximately 45 miles of streets.

Each summer we use seasonal employees to seal cracks in the pavement with hot tar. This prevents damage to the pavement’s subbase from water.

Refuse Collection

The Public Works Department is responsible for the collection and disposal of the city’s refuse and yard waste. Ensuring a clean community last year, the Department served more than 3,000 residential accounts. During the Fall the Public Works Department also provides a curb side leaf and brush pick up which begins mid October and runs through the last week of January.