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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-05-05 - AGENDA REPORTS - WATER IN SC VALLEY (2)CITY OF SANTA CLARITA INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM. TO t and Councilm�tubers FROM Sorg4earava o, ria�g��r DATE May 5,1998 SUBJECT: WATER IN THE SANTA CLARITA VALLEY RECOMMENDATION The City Council will receive staff presentation for informational purposes. BACKGROUND Earlier this year, the City Council requested staff to provide an informational presentation regarding water in the Santa Clarita Valley. In response to this request, Gail Ortiz, Public Information Officer, and Larry Cushman, Supervising Engineer, have prepared an informational presentation for the Council. ATTACHMENTS Exhibit A Water Purveyor Boundary Map (2/98) Exhibit B Draft CLWA Integrated Water Resources Plan -Water Demand and Supply Report Summary (2/98) Exhibit C Planning Commission's Report on Water by Staff (4/7/98) Exhibit D City General Plan Policies For Water Resources Exhibit E City Staff Report — Reclaimed Water Usage in the Santa Clarita Valley (1/13/98) gd/water-ss.doc Agenda Item: C_V/Vk;t "�6 "' DRAFT - February 13, 1998 INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES PLAN Water Demand and Supply Report Summary 1. WATER AND THE SANTA CLARITA VALLEY The Santa Clarita valley, located among the hills of northwestern Los Angeles County, exhibits the dry, semi -arid climate of much of Southern California; essentially, the area is a desert. In the early years, local residents and water agencies dug local wells to provide vitally needed water supplies, but continued growth and urbanization made it clear that local water supplies would not be sufficient to meet the needs of the Valley. Formation of Castaic Lake Water Agency. In 1962, the State legislature created the Castaic Lake Water Agency (CLWA), whose primary purpose is to acquire imported water supplies through a contract with the State of California State Water Project (SWP). Its initial entitlement was 23,000 acre feet per year, which was soon increased to 41,500 acre feet per year and in 1988 increased to 54,200 acre feet per year. CLWA's service area is 195 square miles. The imported water is drawn from the SWP's Castaic Lake, treated by the CLWA, and delivered wholesale to the four retail water agencies that serve the Valley. The retail water agencies are the Santa Clarita Water Company, Valencia Water Company, Newhall County Water District, and Los Angeles County Waterworks District No. 36. The coordination of the CLWA's imported water supplies with the retail agencies supplies from the local groundwater, has worked well in the Valley. The Valley has never lacked adequate water supplies, even during the prolonged drought of the late 1980's and early 1990'x, when other communities in Southern California experienced water rationing. The Integrated Water Resources Plan. Looking to the future, continued development of the Valley and water reliability issues, CLWA and its retail members have recognized that even more water is needed to meet the planned future requirements of the Valley. The CLWA has undertaken a long range water planning activity called the Integrated Water Resources Plan: The first phase of the plan, contained in this summary and the report that accompanies this volume, addresses the long term water demand and supply of the Santa Clarita Valley. 2. LAND USE PLANNING AND WATER DEMAND The way land is used typically defines the amount of water it requires. For example, the amount of water used by a parcel which is zoned residential, commercial, industrial or agricultural can be fairly accurately determined by the past usage history of similar parcels. Citv and County General Plans. The City of Santa Clarita's General Plan, adopted in 1991, outlines the land uses authorized within the city's boundaries. Similarly, the County of Los Angeles general plan for the unincorporated areas of the Valley was adopted in 1993. These plans, plus applicable portions of the Ventura County General Plan are the foundation for calculating future water demand. It should be emphasized that CLWA has no authority for land use planning or approval of developments within its service area; as this authority rests solely with the city and counties. The CLWA in its identification of future water demands is responding to the growth projected by the city and county just like school districts, sanitation districts, and other public suppliers of services and utilities. while the general plans are the definitive documents for land use planning, proposals forchanges or additions to these plans are continually submitted. Every effort has been made to assure that the land use projections are as complete as possible. Where a given land use has a certain flexibility -- for example, where a range of units can be legally built on the parcel with varying water demands -- the study showed that development occurs around the midpoint of the range, and this Page 2. number was adopted. All together, over 60,000 individual parcels with a combined total of 118,000 acres were put into a detailed data base, with specific demographic information on each one. 3. WATER DEMAND BASED ON -LAND USE The next job was to assign a realistic water demand to each parcel based on planned land use. The land use method was adopted as the most accurate method and is commonly used in water resource planning. It applies the -water demand factor for each type of land use multiplied by the acreage for that land use, producing a total volume of water needed for all parcels. Range of Total Water Demand. It must be remembered that projecting water demands far into the future is not a precise science; and no exact amount can be predicted with absolute accuracy. There are uncertainties in the timing and density of future development as well as variations in the patterns of water consumption. Hence, a variation of plus or minus 15% was used in the water demand projection based on past patterns of water use in the Valley, producing a range of water. demands. The total demand is about 60,000 acre feet per year at present, rising to approximately 175,000 acre feet per year, based upon currently planned land uses. 4. BASE WATER SUPPLIES Turning to water supply, the water supplies currently available to the CLWA service area are three: Groundwater, Imported Water, and Recycled Water. Taken together, they constitute the base water supplies for meeting current and future demand. There are other supplies expected to be available in the future which will increase the reliability of the'base supplies. These will be discussed separately. Groundwater The first of these base supplies is groundwater; found in two different aquifers in the Santa Clarita Valley: one at a more shallow depth, called the Alluvial Aquifer, and one at a greater depth, called the Saugus Aquifer, An aquifer is a water -bearing ground formation. Alluvial Acruifer. This aquifer generally underlies major stream channels of the area. The Alluvial Aquifer varies greatly in the amount of water it can produce depending an the weather conditions. The relatively shallow wells in the Alluvial Aquifer are quite productive and in normal weather periods, produce about 32,000 acre feet per year. The Aquifer is replenished rapidly during high rainfall conditions. Saugus Aquifer. This aquifer is larger in area and volume, and located generally below the Alluvial Aquifer. While it is fed by the Alluvial Aquifer and its surface exposure to rainfall, it is also bound by material that is not very permeable. replenishment of this Aquifer is slow because of the binding material; hence it restores more slowly. Very deep wells are needed to obtain this water. This aquifer can presently produce a total of about 11,000 to 20,000 acre feet per year, and because of the considerable storage available can be called upon in times of drought to produce a much greater volume of water. Groundwater Ouality. The water from both aquifers is of generally good quality, but contain a relatively high mineral content. The Total Dissolved Solids range from a moderate 400 milligrams per liter to a high of about 1,000 milligrams per liter. Imported Water The second base supply is from the State Water Project, managed by the California Department of Water Resources. CLWA is one of 29 water agencies through out the State that have contracted for this water. CLWA's original 1962 entitlement of 23,000 acre feet per year of State Project water was soon increased to 41,500 acre feet per year. When the Agency acquired land within the Devil's Den Water District in the San Joaquin Valley, which had an entitlement of 12,700 acre feet per year, this amount was transferred to CLWA. Thus, all together, CLWA's entitlement today is 54,200 acre feet per year. CLWA's entitlement is 1.3%- of the SWP. .Page 3. Reliability of State Water. Until the many features of the SWP are completed by the project or urban contractors elect to advance construction of additional storage the project will experience weather related inability to deliver each contractor's full entitlement on a consistent basis. For the purposes of this report, the reliability has been conservatively established at 50% of the full CLWA entitlement in the near term, gradually rising to 95e as environmental issues in the Bay Delta are resolved and project carry over storage is improved. Ouality of State water. State project water is of high quality with lower levels (300 ppm) of total dissolved solids compared to local groundwater supplies. The quality is expected to improve with resolution of the Bay Delta issues. Monterey Agreement Water. In 1996, CLWA along with most of the other SWP contractors signed an amendment to the State Water Project contract called the Monterey Agreement which made a total of 130,000 acre feet per year of the SWP entitlement of Kern County Water Agency available for purchase by urban contractors. Already, 32,000 acre feet of this amount has been purchased by other SWP contractors. Other contractors including CLWA, are actively considering a purchase of this Monterey Agreement water. This is a rare and unique opportunity to acquire additional SWP entitlement. Water Bankina. One of the advantages of the SWP contract is that contractors are permitted to store water in underground basins outside their own service areas. This provision opens the opportunity to CLWA to purchase water in wet years, store it in a groundwater basin either locally or in other parts of the State, and retrieve it in dry years. This "underground reservoir' concept can be implemented by CLWA in a number of locations throughout California. Recycled Water The third CLWA base water supply is recycled water, which is fully treated wastewater. Recycled water can be used for non potable purposes such as landscaping and irrigation. Two wastewater reclamation plants currently exist in the CLWA area, and a third may be constructed in the future. CLWA has already prepared a Reclaimed Water System Management Plan for recycled water to be used for irrigation of golf courses, parks, schools and other irrigation needs. one recycled water project is being implemented in 1998, and others are planned for the future: A total of 18,000 acre feet of recycled water is expected to be developed in the Santa Clarita Valley when all the projects in the plan are completed. 5. OTHER POTENTIAL WATER SUPPLIES Rounding out the supply picture, other feasible opportunities exist for increasing the Valley's water supplies in the future. They are not yet firm enough to count toward a base supply. Nevertheless, they all can contribute to increased reliability of the base water supply. Among these opportunities are the following: • Desalination. Brackish groundwater in the Valley can be desalinated. One local opportunity, though costly, is to desalinate water used in oil extraction. Seawater desalination is also technically feasible, but prohibitively expensive. • Storm Water Capture. Local storm water flowing into Castaic Reservoir can be used to meet local needs. This water is very inexpensive and it is desirable to obtain this supply. • Annexation Water. The Board of Directors permits future annexations to the CLWA only when the annexing property furnishes a supply of SWP entitlement water equal to twice the annexation area's projected water use. Over time, the surplus water will grow into a firm supply. • Other State Programs. Several State programs offer the possibility of acquiring short term imported supplies. Among these are the State Water Bank, in which the Department of Water Resources serves as a broker to sell available surplus water; Page ;. the Supplemental Water Purchase program, in which DWR purchases water or water supply options and makes them available to SWP contractors; the Turn -Hack Pool, 4 - which the SWP makes unused entitlement water available for. sale; and the Interruptible Water Service Program in which the SWP allocates surpl'�s water to SWP contractors based on entitlement. All of these programs can be utilized in the short and long term to shore up base water supplies, adding reliability to the water supply picture. 6. HOW SUPPLY AND DEMAND MATCH IIP Current Projection of Demand and Supply. Figure 1 shows future water demands rising from about 60,000 acre feet per year at present to 175,000 acre feet per year over the long term. Above and below this normal demand curve are curves for an uncertainty factor of 15%, creating a range of future long term demands from just under 150,000 acre feet per year to just above 200,000 acre feet per year. Figure 1 also.displays the base supplies of water available to the Santa Clarita Valley to meet the demand from the present time -through the study period. These include the State Water Project entitlement, the Alluvial and Saugus Aquifer groundwater, and Recycled Water. Taken all together, these base supplies will provide approximately 125,000 of the 175,000 acre feet. per year. Figure 2 displays the same base supplies, but adds anticipated new supplies expected to be needed in the future, including storm water capture and annexation water. Most significant is the acquisition of about 40,000 acre feet of State Project Water. Purchasing this supply not only rounds out the supplies necessary to meet the currently planned land uses of the Valley, but also provides both near-term and long-term desirable water supply reliability. ACTIONS The supply plan described above dramatically demonstrates the need for additional firm supplies of water to meet the currently planned land use demands of the Valley. 1. Acquisition of Additional SWP Entitlement. CLWA has the opportunity under the Monterey Agreement to purchase additional SWP entitlement at the present time; deferral of a decision to obtain this water could easily result in the permanent loss of this opportunity as other water agencies acquire this water. Although other water transfer oppertunities could become available in the future, it is uncertain that they will be as attractive. As a result, CLWA should immediately undertake negotiations to acquire the additional Monterey Agreement entitlement of 40,000 acre feet per year, and begin the necessary environmental documentation to support it. Acquisition should occur before the year 2000, if possible. Should agriculture in California's Central Valley switch to higher value crops; the availability of water for transfer to SWP contractors may diminish. In the near term, this water will provide added reliability to the CLWA's base water supplies. Later, with the addition of water banking or other storage opportunities, it will provide the water needed for the Valley's planned growth, and increased reliability in the long term. 2. Water Conservation. CLWA should continue to develop and implement its comprehensive water conservation program in cooperation with the four retail agencies. The major emphasis.should be on landscape water conservation activities. A 10%.reduction in water demands through conservation is expected. 3. Water Transfers and Banking. CLWA should continue to pursue transfer and banking activities with other agencies. Particular emphasis should be placed on the purchase of 40,000 acre feet of SWP entitlement under the Monterey Agreement, as described above. CLWA should also investigate opportunities to bank its existing and future surplus SWP entitlement with agencies in Kern County and other neighboring agencies. Page 5. 4.__Expanded Lake Storage. CLWA should investigate with The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and Department of Water Resources the possibility c: expanded storage in Castaic Lake beyond its current allocation. Also, flood flows into Castaic Lake should be fully evaluated to determine if there are opportunities to capture and store local stormwater flows. S. Recvcled Water. CLWA should fully implement a cost-effective water recycling program with the four retail purveyors and the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, and seek loans from the State for a portion of the capital costs. 6. Groundwater Management. CLWA should work with the four retail water agencies to construct additional wells in the Saugus Aquifer for use during droughts. A phased program to develop these wells would provide valuable additional water supply reliability. 7. Artificial Groundwater Recharge CLWA should evaluate the feasibility of artificial groundwater recharge of the Alluvial and Saugus Aquifers. The Alluvium can best be recharged using off -stream or in -stream spreading facilities. The Saugus can best be recharged by direct injection of imported treated water. 8. Groundwater Protection Strategv CLWA and the four retail agencies should jointly develop a coordinated groundwater quality program to reduce the risk of contamination of the drinking water supply. 9. Conjunctive Use. CLWA should assess potential conjunctive use programs with the four retail agencies. Conjunctive use is the coordinated operation of local and imported water supplies to achieve improved overall water supply management. All of these recommended actions can be phased in over time to assure an adequate, cost effective, and reliable water supply to meet the ultimate needs of the Santa Clarita Valley. CONCLUSION The principal recommendation in this plan report is that CLWA should increase its SWP entitlement from 54,200 acre feet per year to 94,200 acre feet per year. The recommendation is consistent with planning objectives recently approved or under consideration by all local governments responsible for road, schools, sanitation facilities, and parks. If implemented, the.additional water entitlement will serve to offer residents secure near-term water service reliability and assurance that future development will not erode:the adequate water supply now enjoyed by CLWA's property owners. E�ti ,b '-L ilC 11 CITY OF SANTA CLARITA INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM TO: Chairperson Hoback and Members of the Planning Commission FROM: Jeffrey Lambert, AICP, Planning Manager DATE: April 7, 1998 SUBJECT: SANTA CLARITA VALLEY WATER — GENERAL INFORMATION At the December 2, 1997 Planning Commission meeting an agenda item titled Long -Term Santa Clarita Valley Water Availability was discussed. It was determined that staff would invite representatives of the various water agencies to provide brief presentations regarding their organization and activities relative to long-term water service to their customers in the Santa Clarita Valley. Engineering Services staff has researched and compiled some general. information regarding water service. This general information should be useful in answering questions regarding regulation and monitoring of the various water agencies, as well as, where certain responsibilities lie. The goal of this report and the presentations by each water purveyor, is to provide the Planning Commission with a better understanding of how water is provided and what is the role of each stakeholder. Since all living things need water to exist, we tend to put considerable importance on our water supplies. In addition, economic prosperity, good jobs, environmental vitality and quality of life all have been linked to reliable, sufficient water supplies. The California Dream rests on a foundation of water and historically, this water has been fought for through State and Federal legislature and through the Courts. ANALYSIS Structure of Water Delivery in the Santa Clarita Valley The majority of water available to citizens within the Santa Clarita Valley is provided by one of the four water purveyors. However, a number of residents in the rural areas of the Valley provide water for themselves from their own private wells. Typically, unless water rights on a property have been reserved separately from the property when it is sold, every property owner has the right to drill a well and extract water for their use. The four water purveyors are: Newhall County Water District, Los Angeles County Waterworks District No. 36, Valencia Water Company; and Santa Clarita Water Company. Castaic Lake Water Agency is a wholesale water agency formed in 1962 to provide import water from the State Water Project (SWP) to the Valley's water retailers. It is important to understand that Castaic Lake Water Agency is an independent State Water Project contractor and is not a member agency of the Metropolitan Water District. Newhall County Water District has approximately 6,000 service connections and provides water to its customers from district wells and import water from CLWA. Los Angeles County Waterworks District No. 36 provides water service to approximately 770 parcels in the unincorporated Val Verde area of the Santa Clarita Valley. There are no ground water wells within this district and all water is currently being provided with import water from CLWA: The Valencia Water Company is a private water company with approximately 17,200 service connections and provides water to its customers from wells and import water from CLWA. The Santa Clarita Water Company is also a private water company with approximately 20,000 service connections and provides water to its customers from wells and import water from CLWA. Currently, Castaic Lake Water Agency has a maximum allocation of SWP water, which is subject to availability. In dry years, the allocation is usually reduced proportionately among all SWP contractors. Since the initial creation of the CLWA, the Agency has been able to increase . their allocation of SWP water, and are continually looking at ways to acquire more allocations to provide for increasing water demands of the Valley. As would be expected, the ground water basins being utilized to produce water by the local water purveyors and private.citizens have a maximum safe yield. The last study conducted to determine this safe yield was completed in the late 1980's, and although these results have been utilized in planning for the future water needs of the Valley, there have been discussions regarding the current validity of that study. Currently, there is no legal limit to the amount of water any water purveyor or individual can pump from their wells. There have been discussions regarding the need for a cooperative effort to determine the safe yield and to reach an agreement among the water purveyors on the sharing of the ground water resources. To date, this has not been accomplished. City's Role Currently, the City of Santa Clarita is not in the water business. The City does not own or operate a municipal water district. Therefore, the City has limited control over water purveyors and private citizens owning their own wells. The City is charged with evaluating and regulating development within City boundaries. As part of this duty, the City has the responsibility of seeing that new development occurs in conformance with the City General Plan, the Uniform Development Code, various state and federal environmental guidelines, various other City ordinances, and state and federal laws. 2 As part of the development review and evaluation process, the City notifies the water purveyors of each new development project. The Planning and Building Services Department distributes a Development Review Committee Agency Comment Sheet to the water purveyors. The water purveyors are asked to provide comments and recommendations on all new developments relative to the anticipated costs, infrastructure improvements, treatment and storage requirements, and other water supply issues related to these projects. Who Is Monitoring the Water Quantity and Quality? If the City of Santa Clarita is not responsible for monitoring the operations of the water purveyors, who does monitor their operations, and how are we assured that good quality water in adequate supply will continue to.be provided to the citizens? Through the Safe Drinking Water Act and continual amendments, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency establishes drinking water standards and implements various programs to insure safe water for consumers throughout the nation. The State of California Health Department monitors the compliance with the federal standards and imposes additional restrictive standards throughout the state. It is comforting to know that the drinking water standards in the State of California are among the most stringent in the nation. Based on the size of the water purveyor (number of service connections) various monitoring programs are established and strict adherence is required. This monitoring involves keeping the composition of the water that is provided to customers, below established limits for natural and manmade minerals and free of water borne bacteria or other identified materials that may produce adverse health affects. Constant testing must be done on the water and the facilities that are used in producing and delivering the waterto customers. These test results must be continually submitted to the regulatory agencies and if noncompliance occurs, the water purveyor is required to notify their customers and correct the problem immediately. Currently, there is no agency that regulates the quantity of water provided by the individual water purveyors. The private water companies (Santa .Clarita Water Company and Valencia Water Company) are regulated by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and are treated like any other public utility, such as Southern California Gas Company or Southern California Edison Company. The PUC regulates the. price of service to the customer and deals with complaints regarding service. The public water agencies (Castaic Lake Water Agency, Newhall County Water District, and Los Angeles County Waterworks District No. 36) are controlled by elected boards. Castaic Lake Water Agency and Newhall County Water District have locally elected boards of directors and L.A. County Waterworks District No. 36 is governed by the County Board of Supervisors. Currently, the amount of water delivered to customers by water purveyors is based on the amount they are willing to pay and the availability of the water. This is true of any utility that is providing a product or service to their customers. Since the water utility is an enterprise for the purpose of providing a commodity and a service, like any other utility, the desire would be to sell as much of the commodity as possible while managing the resource wisely to be assured that there .would always be a commodity to sell. This concept creates an incentive to use the resource wisely and to plan for the future. However, since there is currently no control on the use of the existing ground water resource, concern has been expressed that the water suppliers may not be planning well enough for the future. Understanding that the ground water resources are limited and cannot provide all water needs for the present and future residents of the Santa Clarita Valley, the CLWA has recently drafted their "Integrated Water Resources Plan." The Planning Commission has been furnished with a complete copy of this CLWA Plan. The intent of this plan is to assess the present and future water needs of the Valley and develop a long-range plan to meet those water needs. A copy of the CLWA Integrated Water Resources Plan — Water Demand and Supply — DRAFT Report Summary is attached to assist in obtaining the information most relevant to the subject of this report. Difference Between Public and Private Water Purveyors As briefly noted previously, public and private water purveyors are different in the way that they are governed, how rates are set, and what local agency regulations they must adhere to. The following is a synopsis of the major differences that affect the operations of private (Santa Clarita Water Company and Valencia Water Company) versus public water purveyors (Castaic Lake Water Agency, Newhall County Water District, and Los Angeles County Waterworks District No. 36): • Private water companies are under private ownership just as any private business. It may be a single owner or a group of owners or stockholders, and they are governed by the rules and regulations of the California Public Utilities Commission just like any other utility, such as Southern California Edison. • Public water agencies are generally water districts or municipal water departments and are governed by an elected board of directors or a City Council. • Private water companies are private businesses for profit. • Public water agencies are non-profit enterprises that are providing a service to the public at a charge that covers the cost of providing the service. • Private water companies are subject to all the zoning and/or development codes of the City or County. • Public water agencies are usually exempt from meeting any City or County zoning and/or development codes. • Private water companies must pay property taxes on all facilities owned. • Public water agencies are exempt from the payment of property taxes. 4 • Private water companies must pay income taxes just as any other private business. • Public non-profit agencies are exempt from income taxes. • Both Private and Public water purveyors must meet the same stringent water quality standards and are regulated by the same State and Federal Agencies. RECOMMENDATION Receive this staff report and the presentations from various water agency representatives. Also accept public input regarding this issue. Ask questions of the staff, water agency personnel and public providing input. Determine if future discusses are necessary to obtain any additional information that the Planning Commission may want. Attachments: 1. Exhibit A - Water Purveyor Boundary Map 2. Exhibit B - DRAFT - CLWA Integrated Water Resources Plan — Water Demand and Supply Report Summary 3. Exhibit C - National Energy Foundation — General Water Information LPC:Ud eng4uhd\pa awr.due 5 CITY OF SANTA CLARTA GENERAL PLAN POLICIES FORMATER RESOURCES 1.. Statement of Issues and Constraints: Water (L-24) "The uncertainty regarding future availability of water in the southern California area should also be viewed as a potential constraint to development. The Santa Clarita Valley also relies on local ground water supplies for domestic, commercial, and agricultural uses; preservation and conservation of these resources must be paramount in the minds of land use planners. Existing and proposed land uses and operations must consider the consequences that may result if they contribute to the degradation of either ground water or surface water that are used to replenish ground water supplies." 2. Policy 7.5 (L-34) "Consider water availability when evaluating development proposals under the land use plan.,, 3. Policy 8.2 (H-73) "Promote water. conservation through education, public service announcements, and other similar techniques." 4. Program 8.a Energy and Water Conservation (H-73) "Programs for energy and water conservation may include cost/benefit analysis of retrofitting of existing housing units, new housing to be plumbed for solar heating, installation of low -flow toilets and faucets, and increased insulation." 5. Program 8.b Site Design with Low Water Utilization (H-73) "Encourage site design and landscaping plans which feature drought tolerant, fire resistant, and xeriscape of low water consumptive materials, with irrigation methods that maximize efficiencies." 6. Program 8.c Water Resources Areas (H-74) "Water resources and water accumulation areas shall be identified to determine a prioritization for development or protection of drainage channels and natural percolation areas." 7. Goal 9 (CD -20) "To promote superior landscape design which emphasizes aesthetics, function, and water conservation." Policy 1.7 (PF -25) "Work with wholesale and retail water purveyors to ensure provision of an adequate supply of water of high quality to all households and businesses within the City." 9. Policy 1.8 (PF -25) "Promote water conservation and reclamation in order to reduce the consumption in existing and future developments." 10. Policy 1.12 (PF -25) "Work with responsible agencies, such as wholesale and retail water purveyors, the Department of Public Works, Flood Control District, Southern California Gas Company, Southern California Edison, Pacific Bell, and the school districts to ensure: The provision of a sufficient supply of water at a reasonable rate Regular maintenance, updating, and improvement of catch basins, water, sewer, and storm drain/flood channel systems The provision of sufficient gas and electric services A quality educational system The protection of ground and surface water quality." 11. Goal 2 (PF -26) "To preserve and protect the groundwater resources of the Santa Clarita Valley and adjacent drainage areas in a manner which will provide for future use of these resources for domestic and agricultural uses. 12. Policy 2.1 (PF -27) "Maintain data and information regarding surface water and groundwater resources for domestic and agricultural uses." 13. Policy 2.2 (PF -27) "Maintain data and information on all surface and groundwater users within the Santa Clarita Valley and adjacent drainage basins that may affect local surface water and/or groundwater supplies to monitor withdrawal and conservation of resources." 14. Policy 2.3 (PF -27) "Maintain data and information on any commercial and/or agricultural uses that do not use approved sewer and/or sanitation systems to dispose onsite of wastewater or permit surface water runoff that may degrade local or regional surface and/or groundwater resources." 15. Policy 2.4 (PF -27) "Acquire and maintain the most current information available regarding the status of local surface water and groundwater resources." 16. Policy 2.5 (PF -27) "Acquire .and maintain the most current information available regarding the status of local surface water and groundwater users." 17. Policy 2.6 (PF -27) "Acquire and maintain the most current information available regardingcommercial and agricultural land uses that do not dispose onsite of wastewater in permitted sewer and/or sanitation systems." 18. Policy 2.7 (PF -27) "Prohibit any use that cannot safeguard water and/or groundwater resources and that does not utilize approved onsite or offsite wastewater disposal systems." 19. Goal 7 (OS -31) "To protect the quality and quantity of local water resources, including the natural productivity of all surface and groundwater, and important watershed and recharge areas." 20. Policy 7.1 (OS -31) "Protect and preserve the supply and quality of water resources in cooperation with federal, state, and regional water resources planning programs and regulations." 21. Policy 7.2 (OS -31) "Maintain high water quality standards for all water bodies used for public recreation." 22. Policy 7.3 (OS -31) "Maintain the natural productivity of streams, rivers, and other water bodies by supporting regulatory practices which prevent erosion and minimize pollutant content on surface runoff from major development." 23. Policy 7.4 (OS -31) "Prohibit the flow of polluting chemicals or sediments into groundwater recharge areas." 24. Policy 7.5 (OS -31) "Identify and protect groundwater recharge areas and encourage the development of spreading and impoundment areas." 24. Policy 7.8 (OS -31) "Protect watersheds that represent significant components of local and regional waterways and/or which contribute to the integrity of surrounding associated habitats." 25. Policy 7.9 (OS -31) "Develop local and regional wastewater recycling." 26. Policy 7.10 (OS -32) "Encourage inter -governmental coordination among all agencies involved in the management, conservation and utilization of water resources by jointly developing strategies for a secure water supply." 27. Policy 7.13 (OS -32) "Protect groundwater quality through the establishment of a sanitary sewer system hook- up program to require the connection of all urban uses/densities." 28. Policy 7.14 (OS -32) "Monitor all industries whose operation or refuse is potentially contaminating to the water supply or whose use of a private well may seriously overdraft the aquifer." 29. Policy 7.15 (OS -32) "In conjunction with the Sanitation Districts and their Boards of Directors, establish through ordinance, or resolution, policies that equitably distribute and regulate the use of reclaimed water." CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT CONSENT CALENDAR City Manager Approval: Item to be presented by: Lawrence P. Cushman DATE: January 13, 1998 SUBJECT: RECLAIMED WATER USAGE IN THE SANTA CLARITA VALLEY DEPARTMENT: Transportation and Engineering Services RECOMMENDED ACTION City Council receive staff report for general information purposes and file. Over the course of several years, and in recent months, various members of the public have commented on the need for the implementation of a plan for the use of reclaimed water. In an effort to gain a betterunderstandingof the issues involved in the use of reclaimed water, the Council has requested staff provide a brief report on this subject. In response to this request, staff has prepared the attached basic discussion report. The intention of the report is to provide some basis for a general understanding of the global issue, how it might relate to the Santa Clarita Valley, what is currently planned, and what the future might hold. Much effort has been expended by various agencies in dealing with a number of reclaimed water issues within and outside of the Santa Clarita Valley. It is not the intention of the staff report to involve the Council in the details of the various studies, or the various conflicts that water issues tend to spawn. The only basic understanding that staff would like to convey is that water resources are indeed a finite commodity, and although there appear to be adequate supplies for today's needs, we must always look to the future. This is true for the world, as a whole, and our dependency on the resource requires us to constantly work toward efficient utilization. Although the City is a stakeholder in caring for the well-being of our citizens, we must rely on the various water purveyors within our community and various water quality regulatory agencies to provide for our water needs. Reclaimed water is available for use today, and like many available resources, when economics dictate, the resource will be utilized. None. RECLAIMED WATER USAGE IN THE SANTA CLARITA VALLEY January 13, 1998 = Page 3 None. Reclaimed Water General Information Report LPC:1k1 �agd.la RECLAIMED WATER GENERAL INFORMATION REPORT Growing urbanization has put a heavy demand on limited sources of water for public community water supply systems. A proven conservation measure to help meet increasing demand is the reclamation of wastewater for nonpotable purposes. Reclaimed water can be used for landscape and recreational grounds irrigation, industrial processes, cooling towers, air conditioning, toilet flushing, construction, fire fighting, groundwater recharge, and environmental enhancement, such as maintaining urban stream flows and wetlands. Urban re -use requires dual distribution systems that use one system for potable water and another for reclaimed water. Dual systems are particularly appropriate for urban developments now being planned, but they can prove cost-effective even for systems that must be retrofitted. The economies arise from savings in the acquisition and development of new water sources and facilities and in wastewater treatment and disposal. Because the, public health risk from nonpotable re -use is minimal, public acceptance is high and even enthusiastic. Nonpotable urban re -use is an option worth consideration by municipalities seeking additional water supply to meet future needs. The use of nonpotable. water (reclaimed water) preserves high-quality water supplies for drinking, thus reducing public health risks and the burden on water treatment. Nonpotable urban reuse is largely achieved through dual distribution systems: one for potable water, and the other for reclaimed water. Dual systems have been used since the time of Augustus Caesar, who reigned over the Roman Empire from 31 B.C. to A.D. 14. The dual system is important because it not only provides an additional economical source of water with little health risk, but it also provides a means for reducing the cost of wastewater disposal. The Santa Clarita Valley is no different from areas all over the world that are becoming urbanized to meet the demands created by society. Throughout the world, population growth is causing increased demands for high-quality water. Although the need for additional public water supplies has emerged as the major reason for investing in water reclamation and re -use in urban areas, the initial impetus in U.S. cities has been to reduce the cost of wastewater treatment and disposal. With the increasingly rigorous requirements for disposal of wastewater to streams, lakes, and oceans (particularly in regard to nutrient removal), reclamation and nonpotable re -use have been seen as less costly than treatment for discharge. Wastewater discharged from the Saugus and Valencia reclamation plants into the Santa Clara River is currently being treated to a very high level because it is being discharged into:a stream. In the future, ever stricter discharge regulations will continue to increase the cost of treating this wastewater. The solution to.keep the cost of treatment down will be to utilize this wastewater so that it is not discharged into the river. In this way, the cost can be reduced by eliminating the need for additional treatment and by deriving revenue from the sale of the reclaimed wastewater. Regulations for reclaimed water to be used for nonpotable purposes were first addressed in California in 1968 and last revised as Title 22 in 1978. The successful application of these California regulations led to adoption of similar regulations by other states. Federal regulations for nonpotable re -use have not been officially established. The USEPA's guidelines for unrestricted urban use parallel the standards for microbiological quality for drinking water, thus ensuring that inadvertent ingestion even for a period of time would pose little health risk. Reclaimed water used to recharge groundwater or which is discharged to a surface water body designated as a drinking water supply must generally meet California Drinking Water Standards for trace constituents. Requirements regarding organic chemicals are not necessary because the water is not intended to be ingested for long periods of time, so trace contaminants (including disinfection by-products) are not an issue. In the past two decades, the County Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County (Districts) have witnessed a marked increase in the re -use of reclaimed water in their service areas other than the Santa Clarita Valley. Within the last 20 years, the State of California suffered through two serious droughts, and the number of re -use sites throughout the Districts' service area has increased from approximately 10 sites to over 60 sites. All of the reclaimed water produced at the Saugus Water Reclamation Plant (SWRP) and Valencia Water Reclamation Plant (VWRP) is suitable for reuse. Although it has been stated in the Santa Clarita Valley Joint Sewerage System Facilities Plan and EIR that "currently, the use of reclaimed water is almost non-existent in the valley," this statement is made, not considering two major reclaimed water uses. These uses are ground water recharge and wetlands enhancement,. These two uses require no construction of additional facilities and would be considered the least expensive ways of utilization of reclaimed water resources. However, with the forecasts of future shortfalls of water supplies, these uses also do the least toward providing additional water supplies to meet growing demands, and the need to enhance wetland areas that do not naturally exist in this and region could be argued. In 1993, the Castaic Lake Water Agency (CLWA) developed a Reclaimed Water System Master Plan (RWSMP) for the Santa Clarita Valley. The RWSMP includes plans for storage and conveyance of reclaimed water, as well as identification of users and uses for reclaimed water. In the proposed reclaimed water system, County Sanitation Districts 26 and 32 would provide in excess of 9,000 acre feet per year (8.0 million gallons per day) from the SWRP and V WRP to the CLWA. The current combined average daily flows of the VWRP and SWRP is 12.4 million gallons per day. Based on the CSD master plan for the Santa Clarita Valley, the plan is to expand existing facilities to a maximum design capacity for the VWRP and SWRP to 25 million gallons per day by the year 2010. This is over three times the 8 million gallons per day proposed as the amount CLWA would take at full build -out of the reclaimed water master plan. In December 1995, Districts Nos. 26 and 32 executed a contract with CLWA that allows for the distribution of 1,600 acre feet per year (1.4 million gallons per day) of reclaimed water from the VWRP. This flow is identified as Phase 1 of the CLWA's RWSMP and currently represents about 10.percent of the combined capacities of both water reclamation plants. This flow has been reserved for landscape irrigation at a number of areas within a few miles of the VWRP. All facilities, including pump systems needed to distribute the reclaimed water, will be constructed by CLWA, and the costs for these facilities will be offset by the sale of reclaimed water. Since almost all uses identified in the CLWA's RWSMP are for irrigation purposes and that usage is seasonal, the full benefit of reclaimed water will not be utilized unless alternative 2 off -seasonal uses can be identified, or storage capabilities can be developed. In this case, the best off-season usage would be for groundwater recharge, which would provide stored water for later use. The existing practice of discharging reclaimed water to the river could continue, and wetlands enhancement programs could be continued and even expanded. The City of San Diego Water Repurification Project is planned to move from. its current conceptual stage to implementation in early 1998. This project will incorporate new applications of water and wastewater treatment technology to turn raw wastewater into a safe, reliable, and cost-effective drinking water source. This new technology may be used in the future in various locations, including the Santa Clarita Valley, to expand the uses for reclaimed water beyond those currently accepted.. It is clear that we must make better use of the water sources we currently have because it appears highly unlikely that new sources will be available in the future. Environmental constraints will prevent new sources from being exploited, and there will continue to be more competition forthe existing sources. - LPC:1kI cour�11� mdJa 3 CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA TITLES (Due Wednesday Noon) AGENDA DATE: January 13, 1998 CONSENT CALENDAR AGENDA TITLE: RECLAIMED WATER USAGE IN THE SANTA CLARITA VALLEY RESOLUTION NUMBER: ORDINANCE NUMBER: DESCRIPTION OF ITEM: In an effort to gain a better understanding of the issues involved in the use of reclaimed water, staff has prepared a brief report to inform the City Council and the public of some of the basic concepts. RECOMMENDED ACTION: City Council receive staff report for general information purposes and file. DEPARTMENTHEAD SIGNATURE: Submitted by: Lawrence P. Cushman LPC:lkI U Z O Z R u rim 6 J Q a m oz r w K 2 mo V W r Ld U 30: zw Y 9 W Z<W J FQ- WR UR 2 IQ- Q UOQ 4 d Y2 N 3 N.. 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