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UTILITIES DEPARTMENT |
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2065 E. Main Street Santa Maria, CA 93454 |
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The Department of Utilities is responsible for delivering high quality water to your faucet, treating wastewater, refuse collection, recycling, operating the Santa Maria Regional Landfill and its Household Hazardous Waste Facility, street sweeping, and regulatory compliance. The Water Resources Operation and Maintenance Section is responsible for supplying residents with an adequate supply of potable water for domestic, industrial, and fire protection purposes. This includes imported State Water, maintaining wells and City reservoirs that have a total capacity of 20 million gallons, and over 450 miles of water mains. Solid Waste Collection and Disposal Services consist of six distinct areas: Refuse collection/residential; refuse collection/commercial; landfill disposal operations, street sweeping, recycling operations, and regulatory compliance.
| Utility Billing (Managed by the Utility Billing Division of the Administrative Services Department.) |
| Utilities Department - Water Resources Organizational Chart |
| Utilities Department - Solid Waste Services Organizational Chart |
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RICHARD G. SWEET Director of Utilities
City Phone: (805) 925.0951 x7211 |
EDUCATION & EMPLOYMENT:
- Registered Professional Engineer, State of California
- BS Civil Engineering, California State University, Fresno
- Director of Public Works/City Engineer - City of Santa Maria
- Transportation Engineer - Caltrans
- Assistant Civil Engineer - City of Santa Maria
- Associate Civil Engineer - City of Santa Maria
- City Engineer - City of Santa Maria
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:
- Chairman, Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce Transportation Committee
- Past President, Sunrise Lions Club
- Past President, Central Coast Chapter, American Public Works Association
- Past President, Central Coast Chapter, National Society of Professional Engineers
- Past President, Tailwinds Bicycle Club
- Communications Director, Team Tailwinds Bicycle Racing Team
PERSONAL:
- Marital status: Married
- Children: One
- General interests: Raising daughter, riding bicycles, gardening, home improvement, travel and transportation
DESCRIPTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES:
Director of the City's Utilities Department. Responsibilities are:
- Water Services
- Wastewater Services
- Solid Waste & Landfill Services
- Starting and Discontinuing Utility Service
You can review the City's Annual Water Quality Report on this website.
HOW TO REPORT UNSAFE CONDITIONS
To report unsafe water or wastewater (sewer) conditions contact the Utilities Department at (805) 925-0951 extension 7270.
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Mission Statement
To provide efficient utility services through the use of progressive innovation, excellent customer service, and the wise use of public resources for the long-term benefit of the community.
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2011-12 Goals/Objectives
- Continue to work with the Santa Barbara County Flood Control District, United States Army Corps of Engineers, and our elected representatives, to complete the rehabilitation of the 3,700 linear foot portion of the Santa Maria River Levee near the Bradley Canyon confluence.
- Through the Twitchell Management Authority (TMA), Santa Barbara County Water Agency, and the Santa Maria Valley Water Conservation District, work to coordinate and complete projects that will maximize groundwater recharge in the Santa Maria Valley Management Area, as required of the TMA in the Groundwater Litigation Stipulated Agreement.
- Coordinate with the Recreation and Parks Department to engage the community in preparation of a Los Flores Ranch Open Space Management Plan, in an effort to define and coordinate various uses for the property.
- Maintain the financial integrity of the Water Resources Fund by recommending various revenue sustainability options to the City Council.
- Issue a request for proposal, and select a firm for a long-term management contract for the operation of processing green waste to formulate a recycled product.
- Facilitate the rolling closure activity of the Santa Maria Landfill by constructing new landfill gas collection wells in the closed area of the landfill and perform modification upgrades to the gas collection line piping.
- Replace approximately 5,000 of the older, discontinued waste and recycling containers, with new equivalent-sized standardized containers.
- Prepare a revised Closure and Post-Closure Plan for the existing Santa Maria Regional Landfill to comply with updated requirements from the Regional Water Quality Control Board.
- Evaluate a bar code scanning system on the residential utility bill, in place of the Free Landfill Pass card system, to provide better customer service and reduce program abuse.
- Study and implement appropriate low-cost operational changes at the wastewater treatment plant to improve effluent water quality and plant operations.