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ITEM: |
CONSENT CALENDAR |
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11. |
CONSIDER CONTRACT WITH PUEBLO WATER RESOURCES TO PROVIDE
AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY OPERATIONAL SUPPORT |
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June 21, 2021 |
Budgeted: |
Yes |
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David J. Stoldt |
Program/ |
Water Supply Projects |
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General Manager |
Line Item No.: |
1-2-1 |
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Jonathan Lear |
Cost Estimate: |
$75,000 |
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General
Counsel Review: N/A |
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Committee
Recommendation: The Administrative Committee reviewed this item on
June 14, 2021 and recommended approval. |
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CEQA
Compliance: This action does not constitute a project as
defined by the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines section 15378. |
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SUMMARY: The District’s Carmel River Aquifer
Storage and Recovery (ASR) project is operated under a cooperative agreement
between the District and California American Water (Cal-Am.) Under this
agreement, the District operates the wells during injection season and collects
and reports data required to meet permit requirements for the State Water
Resources Control Board Division of Water Rights (DWR) and the Regional Water
Quality Control Board. The District also provides data to the
Seaside Groundwater Basin Watermaster (Watermaster) related to the Storage and
Recovery agreement between Cal-Am and the Watermaster. Pueblo Water
Resources (PWR) is used on an annual basis to support District staff with the
fieldwork, data collection, conduct supervision of unanticipated emergency
repairs, and report preparation to operate the ASR Project in all phases of
operation and comply with permit requirements. PWR has been selected
because their expertise and knowledge of the Project’s equipment, operations,
reporting, and regulation allow their team to efficiently plug into any
component of the program efficiently and provide support with little notice and
direction. No other firm has the direct qualifications and
experience on this project to match what PWR has to offer the District.
DISCUSSION: Due to the seasonal and climate
driven nature of work associated with ASR operations, the District has opted to
not hire full time operators dedicated solely to ASR, but to hire PWR as
support staff on an as-needed basis to keep costs of ASR operation
low. PWR will assist in fieldwork, support data networks, assist in
the preparation of compliance reports, and provide project construction/repair
oversight on an as needed basis. PWR has 18 years of experience in
supporting this particular project, is familiar with the ASR procedures and
regulations, and therefore is able to plug in quickly with little spin up time
when their services are needed. Budget estimate is based on a wet
water year type where there would be over
150 operational days and this contract of support would provide up to 10 weeks
of support. If WY 2022 is not a wet water year, less support will be
needed and the full budget will not be spent. Additionally, as the project
infrastructure ages through normal wear and tear, components break down and
need repair to maintain the functionality of the program. The
District contracts directly with C-57 contractors to repair the infrastructure
and relies on PWR to supervise the repair/construction activities to make sure
the work is completed to District standards. Staff proposes to retain PWR to support the
District with operations on an as-needed basis for the WY 2022 ASR
season.
RECOMMENDATION: The Administrative Committee
recommends that the Board authorize the General Manager to enter into an
agreement on an as-needed basis, not to exceed $75,000 with PWR to support the
District with WY 2022 ASR operations.
BACKGROUND: The District completes annual water quality
monitoring at the ASR facilities as outlined in the ASR Sample and Analysis
Plan, which is a requirement for project operations by the Regional Water
Quality Control Board. The District also monitors and reports
streamflow and diversion volumes to the DWR, NOAA Fisheries, and State
Department of Fish and Wildlife for permit compliance. In addition,
the District reports volumes of water injected and recovered to the Watermaster
as required by the Storage and Recovery agreement between Cal-Am and the
Watermaster. The District has used PWR for 17 years to support the
development and operation of the Carmel River ASR project. Because
of PWR’s experience with this project, they are able to provide high quality
assistance to the District with little notice and direction.
IMPACT TO
STAFF/RESOURCES: Funds
for this project are included in the FY 2021-22 budget under “Water Supply
Projects,” line item 1-2-1. Funds expended to complete this work
will be shared between the District and Cal-Am through the ASR Management and
Operations agreement between the District and Cal-Am.
EXHIBIT
11-A Pueblo Water Resources,
Inc. 2021 Fee Schedule
U:\staff\Boardpacket\2021\20210621\Consent
Calendar\11\Item-11.docx