55B - RESO GRANT APPLICATION - Laserfiche WebLink

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Adopt Resolutions and Authorize Grant Applications for the Water Recycling Funding and the Water Smart Drought Response Programs February 6, 2018 Page 2 directly supplants potable water use, which reduces the demand on the groundwater basin and preserves potable supplies for other uses. The existing recycled water distribution system exists in only a small portion of the City, and is solely owned and operated by OCWD. In order for the availability and use of recycled water to expand in the community, the City would need to build and operate its own recycled water system. There are many environmental and economic benefits of expanding recycled water use throughout the community, including providing a source of lower-cost water, saving local resources, and the ability to irrigate landscapes in times of drought. A Recycled Water Master Plan is utilized by municipalities and water agencies as a systematic means to identify and assess the best and most efficient method of developing a recycled water system that meets the demands and expectations of the community. The proposed Recycled Water Master Plan will include the development of a computerized hydraulic model, identification of recycled water demand in the community, identification of recycled water sources, and establishment of an ordered list of capital improvement projects and costs. As the City's first Recycled Water Master Plan, this document will serve as the basis for future decisions regarding the potential expansion of recycled water in the City and will assist the City in obtaining available grant funding for the identified projects. The California State Water Resources Control Board offers grant funding for this type of plan under their Water Recycling Funding Program. The program allows for a maximum grant award amount of $75,000, but not to exceed of 50% of the total study cost. In October 2017, staff issued a Request for Proposals to solicit proposals from consulting firms to prepare a Recycled Water Master Plan. The estimated cost of preparing the desired plan for the City is approximately $200,000. If a Water Recycling Funding Program grant application is successful, the grant funding would offset a significant portion of the cost of the Plan. The City's potable water comes from an underground basin and is pumped through 21 existing wells. One of the wells is located at Morrison Park (Well #32) and has been inactive for about 10 years. The well was taken off line due to low operating efficiencies and high nitrate levels. Rehabilitating Well #32 in order to put it back in service would improve the City's water system efficiency and would reduce the burden on other water production facilities. The City completed a Well Nitrate Mitigation and Rehabilitation Study in February 2013. The City has contracted with a consulting firm that is currently preparing construction documents (Plans, Specifications & Estimates) for Well #32 rehabilitation. The construction cost for this project is estimated to be $4,600,000. The Department of the Interior offers grants through its Bureau of Reclamation's WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow) Drought Response Program to develop and update comprehensive drought plans and implement projects that build long term 55B-2