27. MONTHLY WATER SUPPLY PROJECT STATUS
REPORT
Meeting Date: June
16, 2003 Budgeted:
N/A
Program/Line Item No.: N/A
Staff Contact: Henrietta Stern Cost Estimate: N/A
General Counsel Approval: N/A
Committee Recommendation: N/A
CEQA Compliance: N/A
This is a brief monthly update on the water supply augmentation strategic initiative for the period May 14 through June 13, 2003. The most recent detailed quarterly report was prepared in April 2003; the next quarterly report will be written in July 2003. The primary work efforts reflect Board direction at strategic planning workshops and regular Board meetings held since September 2001. The most recent Board action was taken at the May 2, 2003 meeting. Currently, three priority efforts for the District involve water augmentation, as follows:
Priority 1 -- proceed with aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) test project (also known as “injection/recovery”) while simultaneously evaluating long-term water supply options;
Priority 3 -- develop work plan to implement Seaside Basin Groundwater Management Plan; and
Priority 4 -- develop storm water management plan (integrated into Priority 1).
Priority 1 - EIR/EIS on Water Supply Project
At its March 18, 2002 meeting, the Board authorized the Phase 1 Environmental Impact Report (EIR) scope of work to be performed by Jones & Stokes Associates (JSA) the primary environmental consultant, and its engineering services subcontractor Camp Dresser & McKee (CDM). The Phase 1 engineering work focused on developing project descriptions for non-dam alternatives to meet three yield goals; the primary environmental product was the draft Carmel River Flow Threshold Report. Phase 1 activities were completed on April 4, 2003.
On March 27 and April 2, 2003, the MPWMD Board considered the scope of work for Phase 2, which focuses on preparation of a Draft EIR document. Additional refinements to the scope of work were approved on May 2, 2003. The Board identified a local desalination project in the Sand City area with a yield goal is 8,409 acre-feet per year (AFY) as the proposed project to be evaluated in detail. Alternatives include Moss Landing desalination, ASR, reclamation, storm water reuse, off-stream storage, and the Carmel River Dam and Reservoir Project to be evaluated in less detail. The Phase 2 scope of work also includes engineering studies of horizontal directional drilling (HDD) wells (“slant drilling”) for seawater collection and brine disposal for the Sand City desalination project. The goal is to complete the Final EIR in March 2004 and hold an authorizing vote on financing the project in November 2004.
Key activities by District staff and consultants from May 14 through June 13, 2003 include:
Ø Hosted a well-attended quarterly update public workshop on the water supply project EIR on May 19, 2003.
Ø Continued meetings with agencies regarding specific process and information needed to obtain agency permits for geotechnical (test wells) and geophysical (depth soundings) assessment for HDD wells.
Ø Prepared project description of desalination facility and alternatives for use in the EIR. Met with agencies to review detailed pipeline alignment options associated with the proposed desalination facility.
Ø Attended and participated in California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) evidentiary hearing on May 14, 2003 that addressed the California-American Water Company (Cal-Am) request to recovery costs associated with the Coastal Water Project (Moss Landing desalination).
Ø Completed year 2003 testing of the full-scale test injection well in the Seaside Basin on May 15, with a total of 168 acre-feet injected. Began working with Cal-Am to reactivate a California Department of Health Services permit application to enable water recovery testing through the end of year 2003; the earliest start date in July-August 2003.
Ø Continued computer modeling to support a Water Availability Analysis requested by the SWRCB to assess the MPWMD Petition for Change for diversion of up to 7,909 acre-feet per year from the Carmel River.
Ø Coordinated with Cal-Am regarding drawdown of the water level in San Clemente Reservoir in order to avoid adverse effects to steelhead fish rescue and rearing activities.
Priority 3 - Seaside Basin Groundwater Management Plan
Based on Board direction in April and June 2002, staff
developed a scope of work for a technical, environmental and legal review of
two conceptual ordinances associated with a long-term Seaside Basin Groundwater
Management Plan (SBGMP). The firm of Jones
& Stokes Associates was the only firm that responded to the Request for
Proposals, and a contract was authorized in December 2002. Key activities in the May 14 through June 13,
2003 period include:
Ø Briefed the MPWMD Board about Seaside Basin hydrogeology, water use trends, current status, management issues and progress on the SBGMP EIR at a public workshop held on May 29, 2003.
Ø Filed a Notice of Preparation (NOP) on an EIR that will evaluate two conceptual interim ordinances that would be in place until the long-term Groundwater Management Plan is adopted. The comment period runs from May 27 through June 25, 2003.
Ø Hosted an EIR Scoping meeting on June 9, 2003 to receive comments on the proposed EIR for the interim ordinances.
Ø Prepared an initial draft Addendum No. 2 to a 1991 interagency agreement regarding management of the Seaside Basin on the former Fort Ord for preliminary review by the MPWMD Board on June 16, 2003.
Related Water Augmentation Activities
The following table briefly summarizes recent action on related water augmentation efforts.
|
ACTIVITY |
RECENT
ACTION |
|
Test full-scale injection test well
on former Fort Ord; continue testing pilot well, as appropriate. |
Injection ended on May 15, 2003 with
168 AF injected this season. |
|
Obtain SWRCB temporary permits for
Water Year 2002 test period; begin process to obtain long-term water rights. |
SWRCB issued temporary permit for
year 2003 testing season on January 22, 2003. District is developing
information requested by SWRCB for the long-term permit. |
|
Participate in CPUC hearings on
proposed dam and Plan B. |
District staff and consultants
continue to incorporate usable information from Plan B Report into the
EIR. On February 11, 2003, Cal-Am
announced its intent to pursue a Moss Landing desalination plant plus ASR
(Coastal Water Project, previously known as “Plan B”) rather than a dam. At a May 14, 2003 CPUC hearing, Cal-Am
representatives indicated that they are not prepared to abandon the dam and
believe it is the most viable option at this time. |
|
Finalize legal lot/remodel study to
include data from County of Monterey; incorporate into water project EIR. |
In the absence of County data for
Phase II, MPWMD staff in Fall 2002 developed interim Phase II estimates for
the County along with a rough estimate of total water use. |
|
Provide leadership to ensure
compliance with SWRCB Order 95-10; pursue relaxation of one-for-one offset. |
Community water use has remained
below year-to-date targets since December 2001. District staff continues coordination with
Cal-Am to encourage conservation. |
|
Continue evaluation of feasibility
of sediment removal from San Clemente and Los Padres Reservoirs. |
Staff continues coordination and
oversight of California Department of Water Resources and Cal-Am action on
San Clemente Dam. No action on Los Padres Dam. |
|
Continue pursuit of storm water
reuse opportunities in cooperation with ongoing regional efforts. |
Meeting with jurisdictions as
opportunities allow. Incorporating storm water reuse as an alternative for
evaluation in the EIR/EIS. |
Water Distribution System Permits
Staff implements District Rules and Regulations that govern water distribution systems within the District, as most recently amended by Ordinances No. 105 and 106. District staff receives many calls each month from people who are planning to submit applications or have other questions about ordinances governing water distribution systems. District staff also responds to written requests for information.
District staff is currently processing three permit applications: (1) amend the Cañada Woods Water Distribution System; (2) create single-family system in Carmel Valley (Hyles); and (3) reinitiate processing of multi-parcel system in Carmel Valley (Chugach).
CEQA Documents
The District logs
incoming notices and comments on selected CEQA documents prepared by other
agencies for projects within the District boundary that could potentially
affect water supply, quality or environmental resources managed by the
District. No comment letters were sent
in this reporting period.
U:\staff\word\boardpacket\2003\2003boardpacket\20030616\InfoItems_Reports\27\item27.doc
FIRST DRAFT
6/4/03 3 PP