Title
Approve in concept the utilization of a portion of winter wastewater by the proposed Monterey One Water facility in lieu of discharge to the Pacific Ocean, and authorize the General Manager to negotiate Amendment No. 1 to the Amended and Restated Water Recycling Agreement for subsequent Board approval.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Monterey County Water Resources Agency Board of Directors:
Approve in concept the utilization of a portion of winter wastewater by the proposed Monterey One Water facility in lieu of discharge to the Pacific Ocean, and authorize the General Manager to negotiate Amendment No. 1 to the Amended and Restated Water Recycling Agreement for subsequent Board approval.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The California Public Utilities Commission has requested Monterey One Water to provide testimony on expanding Pure Water Monterey, one of the untapped sources of water for expansion of advanced treatment is the unused winter wastewater flows that are going out into the ocean.
Currently the Amended and Restated Water Recycling Agreement (“Agreement”), at Paragraph 4.02, provides Monterey One Water (formerly PCA) 4,320 acre-ft/year of the New Source Water. At Paragraph 4.02 of the Agreement Monterey County Water Resources Agency (“WRA”) is entitled to 4,381 acre-ft/year of New Source Water. Paragraph 4.01 of the Agreement provides that WRA shall be entitled to tertiary treated recycled water for its CSIP Project during the agricultural growing season in a volume not less than total wastewater flows to the Regional Treatment Plant from all PCA members existing at the Effective Date of this Water Recycling Agreement, plus all other areas within PCA’s 2001 boundaries less the following amounts (may be taken before tertiary treatment):
(a) Amount claimed and utilized by MCWD pursuant to Section 15.04 as provided pursuant to the Annexation Agreements.
(b) Such flows as are lost or as must be diverted in the ordinary course of operating and maintaining the treatment plant and ocean outfall.
(c) Such flows as are not needed to meet WRA’s authorized demand pursuant to this Water Recycling Agreement.
(d) 650 AF of water allocated by WRA to PCA.
In addition, WRA is entitled to one-half of wastewater flows from areas outside of PCA’s 2001 Boundary.
Current Status
Under current guidelines for the Salinas Valley Reclamation Project (SVRP), the tertiary treatment plant is decommissioned when demand is less than 5 MGD for a week. Growers in the CSIP area will still need water during the winter for various irrigation activities but currently utilize groundwater to fulfill those needs. The Agreement provides, at Paragraph 2.02, for modifications to the SVRP to take place in order for recycled water to be provided to the CSIP growers in the winter months. However, no completion date is specified in the Agreement.
A preliminary review of historical amounts utilized by CSIP growers and the amount of water disposed in the ocean via the outfall has been undertaken. The analysis did not include any of the additional approximately 5,700 acre-ft/year (net of Salinas wash water) of New Source Waters.
The analysis did show that there appears to be an adequate supply of water that could support future recycled water use in the winter as well as an amount of water that could be utilized by Pure Water Monterey. In dry winters and when the modifications to SVRP have occurred, additional winter wastewater to CSIP will be needed. Pure Water Monterey is requesting up to 400 acre-ft/month for the winter months of October through March.
Prior to bringing an Agreement amendment to the Board of Directors and Board of Supervisors, further analysis of water quantity availability with the volumes of New Source Waters fully considered will be undertaken. A requirement to complete modifications to the SVRP to utilize winter wastewater prior to amendment being effective will also be recommended.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Monterey One Water participated in the preparation of this report.
FINANCING:
PCA shall bear all the costs of design and construction of the New Source Water Facilities. PCA intends to finance these costs utilizing grants and low interest loans. WRA will repay its share of these costs as provided in the Agreement.
Prepared and Approved by: _______________________________________________
David E. Chardavoyne, General Manager, (831) 755-4860
Attachments:
1. Amended and Restated Water Recycling Agreement, dated November 3, 2015
2. Monterey One Water Memorandum, dated September 7, 2017,
entitled “Utilization of Winter Wastewater Flows”