Logo courtesy of the City of Dixon

DIXON, CA (MPG) - At the Nov. 3 meeting of the Dixon City Council, they heard an update about a memorial bench to honor Dixon resident U.S. Marine Corps Private First Class (PFC) Tanner Rubio. 

Linda Babb, senior administrative clerk for the public works department, said the bench will feature a plaque with a bronze miliary seal to memorialize Rubio, who “gave the ultimate sacrifice in service for our nation” when he lost his life in service in 2025.  

The city’s Parks and Recreation Commission approved the placement of the bench near the basketball court in Veterans Park. Babb said this location has “immense personal meaning” and was the family’s first choice, because it’s where PTC Rubio played basketball while growing up: “It anchors Tanner’s memory in the exact spot where he spent much of his youth.”

The cost and installation of the bench is funded by Dixon residents Mary Lou and Jack Batchelor, and Babb thanked them for the generous gift, which will honor Rubio’s “memory, his courage, and his love for his neighborhood.” 

To Rubio’s parents, Marc and Jill, Babb said, “We know there are no words that can heal the pain of losing Tanner, but please know that the entire city stands with you in your grief – just as we stand in deep respect for every single man and woman who has ever worn the nation’s uniform,” said Babb. 

Marc and Jill delivered emotional thanks to the city for the love and support they’ve received from Dixon. Jill said seeing their son honored this way “means the world to us.” 

Marc said he feels “so blessed to be part of this community. … It’s been a place of refuge for us.”

The councilmembers expressed their support for the family, and how glad they are to see Rubio’s life honored in his hometown. 

The council also received a quarterly report on the city’s efforts to meet requirements for hexavalent chromium (Chrome VI) levels in drinking water. Chrome VI is a toxin often found in groundwater due to industrial contamination, but it can sometimes occur naturally. California updated the maximum contaminant levels (MCL) in 2024, stating that Chrome VI cannot exceed 10 parts per billion (ppb). 

Water Operations Supervisor Josh Hudson said Dixon’s public water source relies solely on groundwater, with the operation of five production wells. All five of the existing wells have Chrome VI levels ranging from 12-24 ppb.

Dixon must bring its Chrome VI levels into compliance by Oct. 1, 2027, and the city submitted a compliance plan to the state in 2025, outlining potential treatment options. Hudson said that to meet current demand, at least three of the city’s wells will need to meet the new compliance levels, while the others can be reclassified as standby sources or decommissioned. 

Treatment options include ion exchange, reduction/coagulation/filtration (RCF), and reverse osmosis. 

But Hudson said reverse osmosis is too complex, costly, and not a good option for the city’s water chemistry. So that’s not a realistic option. 

The city conducted a successful ion exchange treatment pilot at one of the well sites, so there is a feasible design and cost estimate for that option. 

This month, the city is starting pilot treatments with two different vendors for RCF treatment. Once those are completed, Hudson said they’ll be able to determine whether that is a viable option. 

The city could also dig new wells, deeper than the standard 1,500-foot depth, to tap into a lower aquifer and bypass the Chrome VI contamination. The city dug a deeper monitoring well in June, and no Chrome 6 was detected. The city is working on the design for a production well, and if they secure a driller by early 2027, the new well could be operational by early 2028. 

However, Hudson cautioned that while their monitoring well showed good production levels, there is not a lot of long-term data on deeper wells, since there has not previously been a need to drill that deep. So, long-term production levels are unknown. 

The current cost estimate for the ion exchange treatment is $4.24 million per well site, which includes equipment, consulting and construction. This option also has an annual cost of up to $300,000 based on the amount of water produced. 

The cost of the RCF treatment is currently unknown pending completion of the pilot studies. 

Drilling deeper wells is expected to cost $5 million per site – $1 million for the initial monitoring well, $2.5 million for the production well and $1.5 million for topside improvements, consulting and construction. 

Hudson said the current water rates were set prior to the new Chrome VI requirements, so the rates don’t account for treatment costs. However, the rates did include costs for critical and near-term Capital Improvement Projects (CIP), some of which will not be necessary if those wells are going to be shifted to standby sites. So, CIP funding for those sites can be reallocated toward Chrome VI treatment. 

The city also received $500,000 in state funding toward Chrome VI treatment.

Hudson said the city will have more detailed recommendations for next steps once the RCF pilot treatments are completed and can compare all the options. 

During public comments, a Dixon resident worried that the cost for these treatments will end up increasing customers’ water rates: “Somehow, it is going to come out of our pockets.”

Councilmember Kevin Johnson said the rest of the country allows levels of Chrome VI that are five times higher than California’s new limit. He called the whole situation “frustrating,” and said the city has been fighting this “unfunded mandate.”   

City Attorney Doug White said that while the city lost the initial court case, they are currently appealing the decision. He said, “This council has done everything they can to push back against having to comply with this regulation.”

The next meeting of the Dixon City Council is scheduled for Nov. 17.