Chico Airport Sewer Pond Repair Project (Capital Project No. 50358)

The City of Chico is undertaking the Chico Airport Pond Sewer Repair Project, designated as Capital Project No. 50358, to address infrastructure failures at the former wastewater treatment plant near Chico Regional Airport in Butte County, California. The project aims to prevent overflow wastewater from contaminating an abandoned pond and stormwater runoff by replacing 345 feet of 12-inch storm drainage, installing a real-time wastewater level sensor, constructing a new sewer manhole, abandoning obsolete infrastructure, and building a year-round crushed rock access road. Construction is scheduled for summer 2026 through 2027, with site preparation beginning July 1, 2026, and major activities including clearing, grading, trenching, and backfilling concluding by September 30, 2026. The work is being executed under strict compliance with the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, the Clean Water Act, NPDES permitting requirements, and local regulations including the Chico Storm Water Management Program. Environmental and regulatory compliance is central to the project, requiring adherence to CEQA and NEPA, with potential determinations including a Mitigated Negative Declaration or Environmental Impact Report depending on assessed impacts. Biological surveys for special-status species such as Crotch’s bumble bee must be conducted by CDFW-approved biologists, and avoidance, translocation, and mitigation measures are mandated in coordination with CDFW and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A Streambed Alteration Agreement under Fish and Game Code Section 1602 is already secured, and additional federal permits under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 401 certification from the Regional Water Quality Control Board are required. All work must be inspected and accepted on-site by the City of Chico, acting as both applicant and CEQA lead agency, with no off-site acceptance permitted. The project references appendices detailing cultural resource records and historical coordination, though no formal contract clauses, pricing data, payment terms, or federal procurement certifications are included in the documentation. Submission of environmental review materials requires 15 hardcopies and electronic versions, with a deadline of February 24, 2026, to be delivered to Sacramento. The contract does not specify a value, delivery terms, invoicing method, or contracting officer roles, emphasizing its foundation in environmental planning and regulatory compliance rather than traditional federal procurement structures.