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ADMINISTRATIVE
COMMITTEE |
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17. |
CONSIDER CONTRACT WITH PUEBLO WATER RESOURCES TO PROVIDE
AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY OPERATIONAL SUPPORT |
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June 14, 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 _________________. |
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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 should
recommend 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
17-A Pueblo Water Resources,
Inc. 2021 Fee Schedule
U:\staff\Board_Committees\Admin\2021\20210614\17\Item-17.docx