ITEM:
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INFORMATIONAL
ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS
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25.
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QUARTERLY WATER SUPPLY PROJECT STATUS REPORT
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Meeting Date:
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January 25, 2007
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Budgeted:
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N/A
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From:
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David A. Berger
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Program/
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N/A
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General
Manager
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Line
Item No.:
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Prepared
By:
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Henrietta
Stern
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Cost
Estimate:
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N/A
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General Counsel Approval: N/A
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Committee Recommendation: N/A
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CEQA Compliance: N/A
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This is a quarterly report on Monterey Peninsula Water Management District water supply augmentation projects for the October through December 2006 period. The next quarterly report will be written in April 2007. Limited background information is provided herein. A detailed historical overview of previous action may be found in previous year’s reports. Quarterly updates earlier in year 2006 were prepared for the January, April, July and October 2006 regular Board meetings. This information can be found on the District website at:
http://www.mpwmd.dst.ca.us/asd/board/meetings/meeting.htm.
Updated weekly information is also available in the General Manager’s letter to the Board at:
http://www.mpwmd.dst.ca.us/gmletters/gmletters.htm.
In October 2005, the Board identified the following water supply objectives for year 2006:
WS1: Determine existing and future water needs.
WS2: Evaluate water supply options to meet community needs.
WS3: Determine MPWMD role in governance of Regional Urban Water Supply project.
WS4: Encourage public participation and understanding.
WS5: Pursue MPWMD water supply projects.
WS6: Create Board Water Supply Committee and charge (deleted January 26, 2006).
New goals and objectives were developed at the September 25, 2006 Strategic Planning Workshop, which was ratified by the Board at its October 16, 2006 meeting. Three-year goals were set along with six-month objectives for the September 25, 2006 through March 15, 2007 period. Goals and objectives (with due dates in italics) relating to water supply include:
GOAL: Determine Long-Term Water Supply Solutions, Including a Quantity
Target
Ø Objective WS1- Present the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) proposed targets and alternatives to the Board for feedback (as appropriate).
Ø Objective WS2- Actively participate in CPUC Coastal Water Project environmental review (November 1, 2006 and ongoing).
Ø
Objective WS3- Present to the Board for
consideration a resolution to support proposed MRWPCA replenishment projects
for the
Ø Objective WS4- Present to the Board a recommendation on establishment of an Ad Hoc Community Advisory Committee (November 2006).
Ø Objective WS5- Initially consider a yield target to satisfy existing and future District water needs and submit to the jurisdictions for feedback by March 15, 2007 (December 2006).
Ø Objective WS6- Refine the Matrix of Water Supply Alternatives, using the quantified supply target and adding the Seawater Conversion Vessels offshore desalination project for use by the Board to consider one or more preferred projects (March 15, 2007).
GOAL: Build and Complete Aquifer
Storage and Recovery (ASR) Phase 1 and Complete Phase 2 Planning
Ø Objective ASR1- Secure SWRCB approval for Phase 1 ASR (December 1, 2006; revised to January 31, 2007).
Ø Objective ASR2- Complete ASR Phase 2 water rights negotiations (January 31, 2007).
Ø Objective ASR3- Oversee completion of the second ASR well for the Phase 1 project (February 1, 2007).
Ø Objective ASR4- Monitor and facilitate the necessary infrastructure improvements to the Cal-Am system to ensure that they are in place to support Phase 1 (February 1, 2007).
Ø Objective ASR5- Develop a project description and yield estimate for the Phase 2 project (March 15, 2007).
The following paragraphs describe action on the 11 water supply objectives identified above in the October 1 through December 31, 2006 period. For clarity, background information is provided for certain objectives.
GOAL: DETERMINE LONG-TERM WATER SUPPLY SOLUTIONS, INCLUDING A QUANTITY
TARGET
Objective WS1- Present the
Consultants
retained by the CPUC met with District staff on several occasions in 2006 to
better understand existing and future community needs, and how those needs may
relate to various potential alternatives to the Coastal Water Project (CWP)
proposed by California American Water (Cal-Am). Data from MPWMD workshops on existing and
future water needs were provided to the consultants (See Objective WS4
below). To date, the CPUC has not
proposed specific yield targets. However, by letter dated November 27, 2006, the
CPUC staff working on the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the CWP
requested that Cal-Am provide information on alternative desalination facilities
in
Objective WS2- Actively Participate in CPUC Coastal Water Project Environmental
Review
Consultants retained by the
CPUC are conducting an environmental review of the Coastal Water Project proposed
by Cal-Am in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). A
Notice of Preparation (NOP) of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the CWP
was issued on September 29, 2006, with a November 9, 2006 deadline for
comments. The primary components of the CWP are a 10 million-gallon-per-day
(mgd) desalination project at Moss landing, a conveyance pipeline to the
Ø Clarify which systems in Cal-Am’s Monterey District will be served by the CWP, and how this may affect the desired project yield;
Ø
Provide background on the
Ø Clarify the ASR project description and coordination of desalination and ASR components;
Ø Add Seawater Conversion Vessel (SCV, or “offshore desalination”) as an alternative;
Ø Consider MPWMD refined estimates of existing water needs, which are higher than the annual quantity proposed by the CWP;
Ø
Evaluate water quality of source water from
Ø Assess growth-inducing and cumulative impacts;
Ø Identify and address National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements, and coordination of the CEQA and NEPA processes.
Objective WS3- Present to the Board for Consideration a Resolution
to Support Proposed MRWPCA Replenishment Projects for the
At its November 20, 2006
meeting, the MPWMD Board adopted Resolution No 2006-05 expressing support for
Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency (MRWPCA) projects to
potentially replenish the
Objective WS4- Present to the Board a Recommendation on Establishment
of an Ad Hoc Community Advisory Committee
At the District Board’s October 16, 2006 meeting, the Board received its Public Outreach Committee’s recommendation that a new Community Advisory Committee (CAC) be formed and also considered the proposed charge for the CAC. The CAC is envisioned as a means to expand public input on the decision-making process regarding proposed water supply projects. The Board did not accept the initial recommendations and directed its Public Outreach Committee to solicit additional suggestions for re-consideration in December 2006. At its December 11, 2006 meeting, the Board unanimously accepted the refined selection process and CAC charge. In brief, the 14-member ad hoc CAC would be comprised of two representatives appointed by each Board member – one individual and one community group representative. The CAC will review the seven water supply projects in the MPWMD Comparative Matrix and provide comments on merits or drawbacks of each. Notably, the Board does not seek consensus on a preferred project. The CAC will meet from February through August 2007 and issue a report for consideration by the Board in September 2007. Refer to: http://www.mpwmd.dst.ca.us/asd/board/boardpacket/2006/20061211/16/item16.htm for more information.
Objective WS5- Initially Consider A Yield Target to Satisfy Existing and Future District Water Needs and Submit to the Jurisdictions for Feedback by March 15, 2007
At a March 23,
2006 special workshop, District staff concluded that 7,690 acre-feet per year
(AFY) of replacement water would be needed at a minimum to meet existing
water needs. A maximum of 13,236 AFY
could be needed, depending on the assumptions made. This staff recommendation was refined and a recommended
value of 12,500 AFY was presented to the Board for its consideration at the
November 20, 2006 meeting. MPWMD staff
amendments were based on a computer analysis of weather factors since 1995, ramifications
of the
http://www.mpwmd.dst.ca.us/asd/board/boardpacket/2006/20061120/12/item12.htm
A special workshop was held on May 18, 2006 to address future water needs, based primarily on projections made by the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), comprised of jurisdiction planning staff. The TAC evaluated water needs associated with various types of uses anticipated at “build-out,” based on current General Plans. The TAC estimated that 4,545 AFY above existing needs would be required, including a 20% “contingency” factor to cover unanticipated water needs or upgrades from current restrictions as well as “paying back” current retrofit credits allowed by MPWMD Rules & Regulations (“borrowed” against a future water allocation). No changes to the May 2006 estimate were proposed in November 2006.
The staff recommendation of 12,500 AFY for existing needs and 4,545 AFY for future needs was accepted by the Board in November 2006 to submit to the jurisdictions for comment. On November 30, 2006, these recommendations were forwarded to all jurisdictions with requested written comment by March 15, 2007. A special workshop of the jurisdictions’ TAC and Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) was held on January 9, 2007, where District staff reviewed the development of its assumptions in detail, with emphasis on existing needs. A January 23, 2007 TAC meeting was scheduled to further review the information on existing needs. It is anticipated that the jurisdictions will formally consider the MPWMD recommendations in February 2007, and provide feedback to the MPWMD Board by the March 15, 2007 deadline.
Objective WS5- Refine the Matrix of Water Supply Alternatives, Using
the Quantified Supply Target and Adding the Seawater Conversion Vessels Offshore
Desalination Project for Use by the Board to Consider One or More Preferred
Projects
Since Fall 2004, the District has prepared an annual Water Supply Augmentation Update that uses a detailed Comparative Matrix of Water Supply Alternatives spreadsheet to compare various projects for subjects such as cost and financing, implementation timeline, water yield, environmental review, and others. The most recent matrix was received by the Board at its October 16, 2006 meeting. The 2006 matrix featured three shore-based desalination projects and included preliminary information on the ship-based Seawater Conversion Vessels (SCV) technology. In addition, the 2006 matrix included information on the MPWMD ASR Project and two projects featuring purified recycled water. For background information on the 2004 and 2005 matrices, please refer to the District website at: http://www.mpwmd.dst.ca.us/pae/matrix/matrix.htm.
To review the October 2006 matrix in detail, refer to:
http://www.mpwmd.dst.ca.us/asd/board/boardpacket/2006/20061016/13/item13.htm.
As part of development of the October 2006 matrix, in February 2006 the District Board approved retaining a team of water supply engineering design experts led by Bookman-Edmonston/GEI Consultants to conduct an independent technical evaluation of three proposed desalination projects previously reviewed in the 2004 and 2005 matrices: (1) Coastal Water Project at Moss Landing proposed by Cal-Am; (2) the Monterey Bay Regional Desalination Project at Moss Landing proposed by Pajaro/Sunny Mesa Community Services District; and (3) MPWMD desalination project proposed in the Sand City area. This effort culminated in a report presented to the Board at its June 29, 2006 special workshop. Copies of the full report are available at the District office, and presentation materials may be viewed at the District website location:
http://www.mpwmd.dst.ca.us/asd/board/boardpacket/2006/20060629/0629agenda.htm.
At the June 2006 workshop, a number of questions and comments were posed by the Board and public. The Board asked for the cost for additional work by B-E/GEI to revise the final report by including responses to comments and questions during the workshop. At its July 17, 2006 meeting, the Board was advised that $15,000 is needed to respond to comments and revise the report. The Board determined that additional funds should not be expended to revise the report at that time, and to defer action on amending the B-E/GEI contract until after the September 25, 2006 Board Strategic Planning Workshop. District staff was directed to solicit written comments from Cal-Am and Pajaro/Sunny Mesa Community Services representatives and to prepare a summary of oral and written comments. A summary of comments by the Board, the public, and project proponents, including copies of written comments received was provided to the Board in a memorandum from the District Engineer dated September 12, 2006. The Board addressed a contract amendment for B-E/GEI at its October 16, 2006 meeting, and determined that it wished to add review of the offshore SCV technology to the scope of work. Reconsideration of the B-E/GEI contract amendment with this new element currently is scheduled for the February 22, 2007 Board meeting. For more information about the B/E-GEI contract review in October 2006, please refer to the District website at:
http://www.mpwmd.dst.ca.us/asd/board/boardpacket/2006/20061016/14/item14.htm.
In Fall 2006, the Board also directed staff to update the Comparative Matrix each quarter if significant new information occurs in the quarter.
GOAL: BUILD AND COMPLETE ASR
PHASE 1 AND COMPLETE PHASE 2 PLANNING
The primary water
supply efforts at this time focus on ASR, including: (1) continue testing of
the existing full-scale Santa Margarita Test Injection Well (see “Other Water
Supply Activities” below); and (2) pursue the permanent Phase 1 ASR Project at
the Santa Margarita test site planned to be operational in 2007. The primary goal of the MPWMD Phase 1 project
is better management of existing water resources to help reduce current impacts
to the
On March 23, 2006, the District issued the Draft Environmental Impact Report and Environmental Assessment (EIR/EA) on the MPWMD Phase 1 ASR Project, including information on a Cal-Am temporary pipeline associated with the ASR Project, at the request of the U.S. Army. On August 21, 2006, the MPWMD Board certified the Final EIR/EA, including responses to comments, adoption of formal Findings of Approval, and adoption of a Mitigation Monitoring Plan to address project impacts, with emphasis on comments submitted by California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS, also known as NOAA Fisheries). Notably, both CDFG and NMFS had previously filed water rights protests (See ASR1 below), so the EIR/EA responses and refinements were made with the intent to also resolve water rights concerns. Additional information on the Final EIR/EA is available on the District website at:
http://www.mpwmd.dst.ca.us/asd/board/boardpacket/2006/20060821/10/item10.htm
In Fall 2006, the certified EIR/EA was used a primary
decision-making tool by several permitting entities. On September 19, 2006, the
U.S. Army transmitted a signed Right-of-Entry permit, a key approval needed to
construct the Phase 1 ASR Project. The
City of
Objective ASR1- Secure SWRCB Approval for Phase 1 ASR
In Fall 2006, District staff continued to coordinate with SWRCB staff to: (1) update the SWRCB on progress on water rights protest dismissal efforts with CDFG and NMFS; (2) describe coordination with Cal-Am; (3) determine next steps for the District’s permit application for water rights for the long-term ASR project; (4) discuss other District water rights issues; and (5) describe the Seaside Basin status and activities. Regarding water rights for ASR Phase 1, two Petitions for Change were originally submitted by the District in October 2001 and revised in September 2003. The SWRCB noticed the District’s Petitions on April 15, 2005. The District prepared formal responses to the NOAA Fisheries and CDFG protests in mid-June and July 2005, respectively. Since then, the District has worked with NOAA and CDFG to finalize protest dismissal terms. In Fall 2006, District staff made an extensive effort to resolve water rights issues with CDFG and NMFS, and also address Cal-Am concerns [Cal-Am and MPWMD had previously agreed to share water rights for the Phase 1 ASR Project]. These efforts included including meetings, telephone conferences, computer modeling and formal correspondence. Most recently, on January 2, 2007, District staff and counsel met with Cal-Am and participated in a second meeting of water rights participants hosted by the SWRCB. Continuing efforts in January 2007 and beyond will be described in the next quarterly report. The current Strategic Plan objective is to obtain a water rights permit by January 31, 2007, but it is questionable whether that target date will be met.
Due to the delay for the long-time Phase 1 ASR permit, the
District applied on November 28, 2006 for a temporary urgency permit to
facilitate ASR testing in the 2007 winter season. The SWRCB expedited noticing of the permit on
December 8, 2006, and set a comment deadline for January 7, 2007. The SWRCB issued the temporary permit on
January 11, 2007. Notably,
Objective ASR2- Complete ASR Phase II Water Rights Negotiations
Efforts in Fall 2006 have focused on Phase 1 water rights and no substantive discussions with Cal-Am have taken place to date regarding Phase 2 water rights. These efforts are expected to begin in January 2007, and will be described in the next quarterly report.
In related action, District
staff continues to coordinate with SWRCB staff regarding water rights
associated with the New Los Padres Reservoir Project (issued in 1995). The District transmitted a July 2006 letter
requesting an extension of time for the reservoir permits to maintain the water
rights associated with them. Five objections
were filed from entities including: Cal-Am, CDFG, Carmel River Steelhead
Association, Esselen Tribe of
Objective ASR3- Oversee Completion of the Second ASR Well for the Phase 1 Project
The Phase 1 ASR Project is comprised of the existing
full-scale test well at the Santa Margarita site in addition to a new, second
ASR well immediately adjacent to the site.
The two wells would be operated in tandem. The District began construction mobilization
for the second well the week of December 4, 2006, as scheduled. The District issued a joint news release with
Cal-Am about the ASR Project and Cal-Am’s temporary pipeline (see ASR4 below).
Construction-related mitigation measures and permit conditions specified by the
U.S. Army and City of
Objective ASR4- Monitor and Facilitate the Necessary Infrastructure
Improvements to the Cal-Am System to Ensure that They Are in Place to Support Phase
1
In 2006, District staff worked
closely with Cal-Am to help obtain permits and other approvals to construct a
temporary pipeline along the west side of
Objective ASR5- Develop a Project Description and Yield Estimate for
the Phase 2 Project
As described above, efforts to date have focused on the Phase 1 ASR Project. However, several meetings occurred between District and Cal-Am staff and/or consultants in Fall 2006, which included brief discussion of future ASR phases. District staff is presently working with Cal-Am’s consultant, ASR Systems, on their preliminary investigation of the ASR element of the proposed Coastal Water Project. This information will be used to formulate a project description and yield estimate for the District’s Phase 2 ASR Project. Meetings with Cal-Am and its consultants will continue into January 2007 and beyond, and will be described in the next quarterly report.
OTHER WATER SUPPLY ACTIVITIES
Though not formally a part of the Strategic Plan objectives, the following water supply activities continued in the October through December 2006 period:
Regional Water Supply
District staff
continues to coordinate with Monterey County Water Resources Agency (MCWRA),
Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency (MRWPCA), Marina Coast Water
District (MCWD) and other entities on regional water supply solution
opportunities. The District General
Manager continues to participate in Monterey County-led meetings of a Managers
Working Group comprised of water/wastewater districts and cities from the
ASR entails diverting excess water flows (typically in
Winter/Spring) from the Carmel Valley Alluvial Aquifer through existing Cal-Am
facilities and injecting the water into the
In Water Year 2006, a total of 411 AF were diverted and
injected into the
In late March 2006, the District and Cal-Am finalized a Management and Operations Agreement (MOA) regarding ASR testing, mutual aid, cost-sharing, water rights and other issues. Since then, several cooperative meetings and action on ASR technical issues and water rights have occurred.
Participate in
The adjudication
of the
A nine-member Watermaster Board was created to implement the Decision with continued oversight by the Court. The MPWMD holds one seat on the Watermaster with two out of 13 votes. The MPWMD Board selected Michelle Knight as its representative to the Watermaster Board. The Watermaster has held monthly meetings since its formal commencement on April 5, 2006. District staff have also participated on the Watermaster Technical Committee and contributed significantly to the Seaside Basin Monitoring and Management Program Plan that was submitted to the Court in late May 2006. District staff continued to contribute data and analysis as a Technical Committee member through 2006.
In addition, in Fall 2006, the District teamed with the Monterey County Water Resources Agency (MCWRA) to submit a proposal for consulting services to the Watermaster. On November 15, 2006, the Watermaster selected the MPWMD/MCWRA team to carry out the project management function for the Seaside Basin Monitoring and Management Program. The firm of RBF Consulting was selected to implement the program (i.e., data collection, test well drilling, etc.). The specific budget for these services is still being refined as of mid-January 2007, and the Watermaster has not yet formally engaged the consultant teams for this work.
Interagency Cooperation
District staff continued to
work with Cal-Am staff and consultants to discuss ways to advance ASR as a
needed component of the “water portfolio” for the
District staff led the effort to obtain
$497,000 of Proposition 50 grant funds to prepare an Integrated Regional
Water Management Plan (IRWMP) for the Monterey
Bay Area. Final written approval
of State Department of Water Resources (DWR) funding was made in early January
2006. Since then, the District staff has
worked closely with its local public and non-profit partners to complete the
IRWMP, including retaining specialized consultants for this type of work. A Draft Plan was completed in October 2006,
and a Final Plan is anticipated in March 2007.
Completion of the IRWMP will position the Monterey Bay Area to receive
implementation funds for specific projects, such as the MPWMD ASR Project.
Other Related
Action
The following table summarizes other related District efforts in 2006 that are relevant to overall water supply efforts.
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ACTIVITY |
ACTION |
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Seismic Retrofit and Sediment Removal from |
District staff participated in the
EIR/EIS process on the seismic retrofit of San Clemente Dam. Potential
removal of sediment from San Clemente Dam continues to be explored by |
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Implement and Refine Water
Distribution System (WDS) Rules and Regulations. |
Ordinance
No. 122 refining the Water Distribution System (WDS) process became effective
on September 14, 2005. The ordinance
created a Pre-Application process for all new wells in the District along
with an impact-based, multi-level permit process, based on the size, location
and water use of affected parcels.
Staff and consultants continued to refine Implementation Guidelines to
accompany the ordinance. Nearly 40 applications
are currently at various stages in the permit process. In a related matter, the Board in July 2006
adopted Ordinance No. 124 to exempt projects in the Former Fort Ord served by
water sources other than the In August
2006, the General Manager issued WDS Memo #3, which addresses environmental
review and permit protocol for applications that include wells located in the
Carmel Valley Alluvial Aquifer (CVAA).
The Board confirmed this administrative direction at its October 2006
meeting. The memo directs more
rigorous review based on letters received from NMFS and CDFG on the
cumulative impacts on water extractions from the http://www.mpwmd.dst.ca.us/asd/board/boardpacket/2006/20061016/12/item12.htm. |
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Review CEQA Documents for Other
Projects |
The
District logs incoming CEQA notices and comments on selected documents
prepared by other agencies for projects within the District boundary that
could potentially affect water supply, water quality or environmental
resources managed by the District. Recent
projects or issues of note included adequate water supply for new development
at Ryan Ranch (City of Monterey) and the Villas at Laguna Seca project
(Monterey County); September Ranch and Carmel Valley Ranch (both Monterey
County). |
U:\staff\word\boardpacket\2007\2007boardpackets\20070125\InfoItems\25\item25.doc