The City of Arvin could soon be cleared to issue new sewer hookups, opening the door for new businesses and housing, thanks to a $5 million state grant.
"We have not been able to issue new sewer hookups, which is impacting our growth in our development in the city. That's what's hurting our ability to build."
In April 2023, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board issued a cease and desist order and connection restriction against the City of Arvin and its wastewater treatment plant, citing inadequate storage and disposal capacity. The order banned new sewer connections to the city's system and required the city to take a series of corrective actions under threat of fines up to $10,000 per violation, per day.
The treatment plant currently processes approximately 1.2 million gallons of water on average and has the capacity to treat 2 million gallons.
With the $5 million state grant, the city will soon begin repairs at the treatment plant, specifically targeting Pond Three.
Mayor Olivia Calderon said she is eager to see the project move forward.
"We're grateful because we know that we have requested that as soon as construction starts, that we take it by case by case basis for them to be able to issue new sewer hookups, new permits, for sewer hookups," Calderon said.
Arvin has experienced significant population growth in recent years, putting increasing pressure on its infrastructure. Longtime resident Christian Bernard, who has lived in Arvin for 25 years, said the change has been hard to miss.
"It used to be 10,000 people. Now we have 25,000. And it's still growing. We have lots of land left," Bernard said.
Bernard said he is looking ahead with optimism.
"I am looking forward to the improvement for the city of Arvin," Bernard said.
Calderon echoed that enthusiasm, framing infrastructure investment as central to the city's future.
"We will continue to prioritize infrastructure because investing in our infrastructure is economic development. This is what enables us to unlock the potential for us to grow to attract businesses, to build homes, affordable homes," Calderon said.
Repairs on the city sewer pond are scheduled to begin April 1 and are expected to be completed by early August.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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