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HomeMy WebLinkAbout0358.092t L " ! ." . - ... ' July 30, 1992 THE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL Palo Alto, California Regional Water Quality Co-"'rol Plant Wast"2!water Recla!t'lati2n. Progran ~ Members of t . Council: Report in Brief This report provides an update on the F.e-::laJIlation Program and summarizes the findings of the Reclamation Master Plan. No action by the Council is required. Background The Reclamation Program has t'Wo major objectives. The first objective iE to evaluate the diversion of a portion of tha effluent from the Palo Alto Regional Water Quality Control Plant (RWQCP) to reduce the wastewater cansti tuent mass emissions to South San Francisco Bay. The second objective is to evaluate reclaimed ~ater as a dependable supplementary source of water supply to the wa~er utilities in the st~dy area. The Reclamation progra= is a three phase program. Phase 1 is the Master Plan designed to evaluate t,echnica 1 and economic feasibility, and to idientify potential reclamation projects. Phase 2 will define and resolve the financial and environmental issues associated with the prop¢sed projects identified in Phase 1. Phase 3 will provide design and construction ir the proposed projects are approved.. The first t",·o phases of the program .... ill prOvide the information necessary for project implementation. Phase 1, the Master Plan, was completed in April 1992. The executive summary section of the master plan (Attachment A) is included. A copy of th~ entire Master Plan is available in the Public Works office, Sixth Floor Civic Center, on request. Findings of The Mast~~~ The Kaster Plan identified several technically feasible reclamation projects within the RWQCP ser-ice areas. It concluded that the identified projects are ecor.om~ ally comparable with new sources of water supply and with conservation measures. In addi tion~ the reclaimed water from the RWQCP will provide beneficial reuse and the reclamation program will reduce the discharge of wastewater -1- CMR:358:92 L L.'· f - t -- I I '," , I L "~i,:;'_;..:;~ : r eftluent to south Sa: Francisco ",aster Plan reco'lllmeu,.;.a:til')n to reclam~tion program. aay. TrJe findings support the proceed with Phase 2 of the The ma~ter plan report was presented to t' City Managers of t~e Partner citie.& and Palo Alto, and C!:qreeme:"lt ..... as reached to prt)Ceed with Phase 2. The RWQCP, therefore., amended its Reclamation Policy to actively pursue reclaimed ~ater potentials in order to reduce mass emissions to the Bay~ The amended reclamation policy (Attacb.ment 0) is included. The Palo Alto Utilities Ad·"iscry Committee (UAC) has been informed of the J)ropcsed program ~!"'.d the ~9ter plAn rasults. Phase 2 of the Reclamation Program Pha~e 2 of the proqram is designed to 3ssess the financial and rate impact of the identified projects, establish funding allocations, develop preliminary institutIonal arra,flgements: and policies, ar-d accomplish the pre-design. The pre-design task is specifically intended to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) • A Reclamation Task FOl.'ce has been tormed to c.vez-see the Phase 2: activitie.s .. Members of the Ta~k. Force include representatives t!"om the City of Palo Alto Public works, utilities, and Finance Departments, a& well as representatives from the RWQCP Partner cities. A request tor proposal has been issued for-consultant services for th~ financial and rate impact assessment. A request for proposal for the pre-desiqn (CEQA) task will be issued shortly. The Finance Cc~ittee ~ill be reviewing the selection of both the financial and EIR con6~ltants~ The final product of Phas-e 2 '.ill be.. a report that provi6.es. the. recommendations for propos~d project implementations. The Phase 2 report will include a set of preliminary poliCies and institutional arrangements that addresses the reclaimed water ~sage, operations, and :mai:1te:nance responsibilities~ The report "Will also include the tentative funding agreements that identify thoe financial ~esponsibilities for the parties benefiting from the reclamation pr:>gram. 'The Phase '2 report, together with the 'Water resource plan currently underta)ten by the Utilities Department, 'Will provide a complete water planning pict·.lre. Upon completion of Phase 2, the W'at~r re.source plan and the reclamation study -will be combir,ed and submitt3d to Council and the UAC for revie~ and approval. If th~ proposed reclamation p:::"ojects are approved, implementat.ion ,.·ill occur in Phase 3~ SUmmary 'the Master Plan is the first investigative step of the Reclamation Program. The Master Plan findings of proposed reclamation projects -2- CKR:)58:92 -------- L are favor-able; howev60r, det initive concl1.l.sions and r~commertdatioJ";s cannot yet be made regarding project implementation. Phase 2 of the proqrUl will provide th.e additional information needed for those rl2commcndations. The Reclamation Task Force is ready to proceed with Phase 2 of the kecla..l:::Iation Program. Respectfully submitted, kee· .. ~~ WILLIAM )UKS Manager, Water ~~ality Control Plant /\ 1 N (J I; ~~ ~W,,-,-J... DA'ifJ:D G. ADAMS Director of Public Works ~N.~~ Q'::I~G ~ ... Assistant City Manager Attachments: 1 -Reclamation Master Plan Executive Summa~j 2 -RWQCP Amended Reclamation policy Related CHR: 153:91 -3- <:MR: 358 :92 ---. - .. :--': ". ~~:'c_f':_,{::i~;,:-: ATTACHMENT 1 WATER RECLA.'dATION MASTER PLAN FOR TIlE REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL PJ..Al''T RUXU11VE SUMMARY The Regional Water Quality Control Pla", provides wastewater treatment and disp<lsal services far the Cities of Palo Alto, Mountain \1ew, and Lo. Alto,; the Town of Los Altos Hills; East Palo Alto Sanitary District; and Stanford University, These agencies are identified in this report as the 'Project l'amcipan[S.' The Regional Plan! Partners (I.e., the ;;astewater utilities of the ontities listed above) and the City of Palo Alto Wat... .. Utility have jointly ~ this Water Reclamation Master Plan. The pwpose of Ibe Master Plan was to evaluate, on a regional basis, t."e potential for redziming and reusing treated effluent from \lie ~onaJ Plant. The stud, area is defined by L"e boundaries of the Regional Plant Pu1ners, as mown on Figure L REASONS FOR THE MASTER PL.>.N On a statewide basis, water reclamation is ~ming an in!egnl part of the Water supply management progzams in many areas of [he .state. Along -with 'W-ater conservation, reclamation is an important mean.s of 5lretching limited water supplies. The Reclamation Master Plan identifies a recommended Water Reclamation Program for tbe cities and agencies "f the study area. This program focuses on Wa1et reclamation as a means of (l} providing additional water supply tc the water utilities in the study area, and (1) reducing the was1cwater constituent mass emissions discharged t!l Soulh San Francis<:o Bay from the Regional Plant. The projects identified in the Masrer Plan will provide water at a co,: that is close to loe costs estimated for new waler supply projects. Ii the Project Participants decide to implement the recommentlell Reclamation Program, it may be pos.ible in tbe future to transfer some their existinj: potIble water rights to other agencies for appropriate compensation. Improving the reli.aI>ility of water supply is another """"'n to consider reclamation. California has experienced two severe droughts in the past 15 years. L, both ins'oances, water use restrictions were imposed in many areas of the stato. Use of reclaimed water will help improve the relWJility of &.e water supply by using nonpotal>le waler for laz;dSC3jle irrigation and ath"" appropriate uses. Although wastewater flaws decrease somewhat during drought conditions (bc:cause of water conservation measures), they still represent a refulll. water source that can be relied on during dry period •. - ~~~::5~~~ ~,:.,C_ ~ .~~~~>':- ::'!:--~--:~;ft·--· - .Il •. •· 2 Water Reclamation Ma>1er Plan ""J.--+--; t N o '-1/3 2-m SCALE IN MILES F"...,e 1 Study Area BC --~ CDr&Jltar:ts """"'" - Executive Summary 3 The identified projects w'J! also pwlide benefits for wa.,tew.ter disposaL The effiuent from the Rogio!l2J Plant is currently discharged to Sout.'> S<I1\ Francisco Bay. Effluent limits for constituents such as crace metals and trace organics have become much more stringent over the yean, and there a'.., L,dications that the Sa., Frnncisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, which has jur..sdiction over wastev.-ater disc1"lAtges to the bay, will impvse even lower cnncentration and mass loading limits in the future. Diversitm of a por:iun of the effluent to reclamation programs could obV=..ate t.~e need flJr much more expensive treatment to reduce contaminant concentration:; for bay discharge. It is impor-.anl to point Oilt that the current concentrations are .aIre:ady very low and '",ill not adversely affect the effluent's swtability foc reuse. SIRUCTURE OF PROGRAM IMPLEl\IE,','TATION The Master Plan is the first step in a three-,tep process leading 10 a Water Reclamation Program. The reason for dividing implementation mw three separate steps is that la.tge-sca!e, regionai water reclamation programs are a relathely new concept, and ti!ere are impo.rtant decisions that must be made regarding reclamation policies, ir.stirutional arrangements among the agencies involved, acqwsition of firumci.l'J.g for project construction, and cost-sharing among !he water and wastewater utilities involved. The Master Plan (SIf:p I) has identified these issues. Siep 2 involyes resolution of these is,ues among the Project Participants, aJ'.d SIf:p 3 ... ill consist of !he lmplem..-ntation of !he speclfic program identified in ~ie Master Plan. Step 1 The purpose of the Master Plan has been to investigate the feasibility of reclamation projec:t.5 in the sn.:dy area and to identify the issues. that must be resolved prior to project design and con_otion. The objectives of Step 1, the Master Plan, were as follows: • Identify potential warer reuse caf2g"ries and sites within the study area and determine user interest. • Identify potential techrJcai constraints to t.ie use of reclaimed water and identify potential mitigation measures. • Identify potential i1.stitutionaI and policy constraints to use of reclaimed water. and develop a suggested policy and L"titutio!l2J ,.rra."gements framework for lmpleD'.enting reclamation projects. BC --~ Consult3nt::. ~ - , --.-. - • :.,;J "'-_ ~ ", ',-- Water Rec.tun.ation .Master Pbtn • Develop and e ... alliaU: potential reclamation projects and select a reeommended plan, including potential constnlction staging. • Identify potential financing and funding mechanisms. The Water Reci,mation MasIer Plan has cenciuded that water reelamath,n projects are technically feasible and that ihey are =>n<>mlc2lJy comparable with nzw sources of water supply and with conservation measures. In addition, they reduce the discharge of wastewater em uent to South San Franci= Bay. If the Project Participants de!emli.ne that they .... ish to proceed with project implementation, the Step 2 oiemenU that have been identified must be addressed as !he next $!<p. Stepl Step 2, !allowing ccmpletion of the Masler Pian, is development of the necessary nrlunalion policies, institutional arrangements, and financing and funding approaches that w:iIl lead to program implemez:tation. Step 2 alsc includes specific predesign elements, specifically complia= with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and completicm of associatOO pipeIine routing and reservoir siting inv"-'tigatioru. A principal recommendation of the Master Plan is the formation of • Joint Regional Wat.!r Recl3mation Committee to oversee the Step 2 tasks. It is sugges<.ed that the Regional Water Quality Control Flant be !be iead agency of !he coaunitlee and that the committee be composed of the following member>: Regiooal Water Quality Control Plant, Plant Manager Cl!y of Palo Alto, Director of Utilities City of Mountm., VieW, Director of Water and Wastewater Utilities City of F.ast Falo Alto, Director of Public Works East Palo lollO Sanitary District, District lv'.anager Staofw<l Universi!y, Manager of Utilities City of I.e, Altos, Director of Public Works Town of Lcs Altos Hills, Director of Public Works The speclil<: Step 2 program e1emonts are as follows: • A final determination on program benefits relative to costs must be made 10 confirm the decision to proceed. The water ulilities in the project area need to assess the attributes of various wale;: supply alternatives wiLl, regard to how each of them meets water planni.'lg goals. The assessment will he!p to determine the ex!ell! of financial participation that is appropriate for the water utilities. Simultaneously, the Regional Plant Farmers' assessment of the value of BC __ Caldwell Conswrtarrt5 ~ .. '. ~ .­ \: , i i Step 3 • Execetive Summary 5 recla.m2.tion as a disposal alternative will help to deterrrine the level of financial participation appropriate for them. Specific policies with regard '0 redamation must be drafted. These may include .specific goals. (or reclamation and reuse, specific criteria for impiem~~tation of recl.amation projects, policies to encourage or mandate use of .reclaimed water, reclaimed water pricing policies, and financing and fundli;g policies. • Once overdlJ approaches to financing and funding are identified, specific financing plans and revenue programs mu.t be developed. • Agreements among the Project Participants on institutional arrangements (e.g., ownership and operation respons.iiJilities) must be negotiated and execute<!. (As an a1temate approach, execution of the agreements may wait until Step 3). • Specifi;: pnedesign tasks must be carried out, including the following: Comply with CEQA (The most appropriate apprcaoh may be to prepare • program-Ie .. l environmentlI impact report [ElRl for entire I<COmmended program and project-level EIR for Smge 1.) Obtain pniliminary user agreements (unless U 50 is mandated for specific reuse categories and areas). Carry out det:u1ed pil'<line IOUtiug and reservoir siting investigations. Refine p~ect cost estimates. 0= Step 2 is completed, the project participants can give the propau1 final approval, and implementation of the ~ects in the Water Reciamation Program can be carried out. The institutional arrangements will be fi.13llzed if they have nOl already been completed. Project financing will be obtained, and detailed design, construction, and operation can proceed. The remainder of this Executive Summary will provide an overview of the Master Plan report. The l'I::IOOr is referred to the full report for more detailed information on specific topics. -·~"-,',",-':"R",,,~!'!I":L'I·. !" .......... -' .. , ...... , -~'-""'~~-'-",-,~ "jifn'~ -. - ') , , , --.---1 , f I I ,1"'\ 6 Water R<'CIamation Master }'"13n BACKGROUND The Regional Warer Quality Control Plant provides waste",,,,.,,-treotmcnt using primary scd:imentltion, a<:robic biok"ieal treatment (triclding filters and the activated slu!lge process), effluent filtration, and disinfection. The capa<ity of the Regiooal Plant is approximately 38 million gallons per day (mgd). Th. current flow is approximately 20 mgd; Ibis has been reduced some;l,.'I'C because of W2.t.er conservation measures resulting from the drought. Effluent from the Reg;onal Plant is dischargod to South San Francisco Bay through an outfall. Even though the contaminant levels in the effluent an: verj low, there is continuing pressure from the Regional Water Quality Control Board to reduce these Ie :s further. Reuse of the .. muent "'ouId red",...e t.~e level "f these contaminants (principally trace melals) discharged to the bay. The concentrations of L ,se constituents are sufficienUy low that they are not of coocem io reuse. The Regional Plmt has practiud reclamation in the past and has .... ,era] currently operating projects. In the early 19705, the Reponal Plant', ~n Facility was constt:ucted to provide ret;laimed ~ for groundwater recharge to form an intrusion barrier to prevent saline bay water from entering groundwater aquifers. This project was abandoned because of pro< ,ms ass iated "ith the recharge element The Reclamation Facility has since been used to produce reclaimed ware. for the Shoreline Golf Links, rIT Marsh, and Greer Park. Projects that are currently planned or in design are the irrigation of the Palo Alto Municipal Golf Counc, and vehicle washing at the Palo Alto Municipal Service Center. REUSE CATEGORIES MID SITES Water reclamation has in ",e past 10 years wed from an innovative me <I of stretching limit<d pctable water supplies to an integral ,"omen! of water supply managerr.::n! in many ueas of California. Under proposed revisiOIU to TItle 22, L~e State's regulations governing reuse, the highest quality reclaimed water (the level produced now by the Regional Plant', ReclamaIion Facility) could be used for "any pwpose except for pctable use and food processing". Potenti.al reuse categories include landscape irrigation, agricultural irrigation, groundwater =ilarge (for indirect pctable reuse), industrial cooling and process water, impoundments (pend. and reservoirs), washing of vehicles and streets, compaction and dust control in construction, and wildlife enhancement through <!ischarge 10 streams or marshes. The principal pctential reuse categories in tho study area are landscape irrigatiO", industrial cooling, vehicle washing, and (through the rIT MMsb now under construction) wildlife enhancement. The Master Plan has focused on landscape irrigation sites because they ._------_.- L - 1 I .'_~ .... ~.~_ ... ""0: ~ .--, Executive SUlIl!l1llry 7 represent by far the Largest tota! potential reuse voiume in the study area. The main industrial cociling ope:r.ltiacs are at Moffett Field and at the Stanford Lin"", Aoceleta!Or Center, which is just outside the study area in San W.alOO County. AdditiorW treatm<nt. 10 remove scaling or oorrosive constituents from the reclaimed water stream, may be necessary fQr industrial cooling applications. Approximately 180 potential landscape irrigation sites were identifie<l in or ncar the study area. These lites represent • IOta! pottntial reuse volume of 7,500 acre-feet per year (acre-ftlyr). This is equivalent to an annual average f'.ow of 6.7 mgd. Many of these sites were S1I'.all and/or located a long distance from the RegiorW PLmt. The .rudy Ihertfore focused on 64 'target" reuse sites, roep=ting an annual flow of approximately 5,300 acre-ftlyr. This is approximately on""!aarter of the average flow. through the ~ PLmt It also represents about 15 percent of the water use in Palo Alto, Mountair. Vu:w, and Stanford, where maS! of the potential sites are located. During the summer months, when iIrigation demand is at its highest, the average reuse volume would be approximately 12 mgd. Many of the potential users were conlacted to detnmine their iI;terest in usi.,g reclaimed _ fa: 1mdscape irrigation (even !hough developing specific = commitments was not a part of the Mast2r PLm scope of work). There was a consistent positive response towards reclamation and n:use. Most indicated an willingness and even a desire to use roclairned water if tile cost were reasonable and there were no adv= quality im;.acts. RECLAMATION PROJECTS Five reclamation projects w= d",-eloped witlrin the study area. Project D provides for rouse of approximately 4,700 acre-ft/yr. Projects A, B, Alternate B, and C can be considered as stages of Project D or as alternatives to project D. These proj eels and their construction costs are summarized in Table I. . Based on a cost and noncost evaluation, it is =mmended !hat Project D be constructed in a staged manner as follows: • Stage I-Project A (annual use 2,300 acre-ft/yr): 1994 • Stage2-Add to Project A to complete Alternate Project B (annual use, 3,500 acre-ftlyr): 1995 BC -and~ Con&,/tants --_ ......... 1Wi!!""-_J .. _'-', _J<~_,_' - L - - o Water R~ti~n Master Plan • Stage 3-Add to Altrrnate Project B to complete P '.,eel D (annual use, 4,700 acre-ft/yr): 1997 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN To implernlOll the m:omrnended plan. several steps =d to be t:al=l in the areas of (1) pol;"y and ir.stilulional actions and (2) ~gn investigation •. Table 1 Project Summa<')' CumutAti,"e c.:m..rm", -Aveno< ..... CI:pi~ C08t. u.nit cost, vol ..... ~ dollan. Project --ltiJ" )..rea KtVcd dolian' oae/ft"-' A 2.2i9 No Altv Maaic:ipll Golf Cow:a 6Ad 1IiI&tb)' 1.000 480 _ Ibo .... _ doo 1UoJi..w l'laoI md Slefoal-. m<I _ Univenity II 3,264 Project A .area pl. atcf. ilODI U. oS. 101 10 ~ lj,700 6JO ~ CmwfMoffett Fidd ~B 3,5(lS> Projec:l A plus SWlford ltetardl Put lftlL 22,600 BOO ~. _ in Palo Alto..,.... Eat M-" Cin:WFobUo W.y """,""i.ol pad: pl ... MitclWl cud _ P.:b. C 4,405 Combme. Projects A, R. and Alt..eruate :9.md . 27.100 140 I !lioe It; EasI No AI", D 4,71.1 Project C plualiDo 00Ulh &om U,S. 101, ""'"'& 30,000 no M~ View Ci!y pttb.. -almdiag 1ri!h potable 'IlIMer or trtatt.:! cnn"mro.kHi ~ :EmY recb;Ic:t; volume of ~ ~ used. 'L"92 priI:o \oYelo !acJodoo 3~ ......" fur ~ sn4 ...,u....;.¥. t.,pl m<I -.. costs, ~ Clpital phlS opnUoa and maintmmce ~ Capital t;;()6b a.mottizec1 over 20 11&11 at • percent ......... 'E.x.c1Ddt:I reuse vol~ '''P" ,cd by P.a!o AlLo Munlcipal Golf eou:.c. which tJ: beiD.&: served by In iat.e:'in:. Pf'!ject. e; . '. . ---~-_,v_ -:", ... ," ~-"- "f .. ~;' "p,~-, '--:",,' . . " I --- Executive Summary 9 Policy and Institutional Actions Key elements are; (1) development of institutional an-dlgements, (2) development of financi.Itg / funding, and reclaimed water pricing policies r and (3) development of policies to encou.!"ageJ""Iuire the use of =1almed "'ate.!". ~onal A.rnnrements. The institutional arrangements lIecessary to des:,gn, """'=. and operate the Water RecLunatiOll Program "'ust be developed among tlle Project Participants. One approach would be to have the R.gional Plant act as the reclaimed wat ..... 'wholesale' supplier, providing reclaimed water to the retail pC!!Veyors in each entity. JiiDaD<:in& and Funding. The Project Participants Dlay wish to seek loans from both the State Revolving Fund and the Water Reclamation LoM Program, although tIlese are nO! likely to prJVide sufficient fund. to construct ~~e entire project, even if the applications are succes,ful. To supplement thls funding, CCI1ificates of Particil"'tion may be obtained. Their advantage is thal they do not require voter approval, which is difficult to obtain when several entities are involved in" project It is unlikely that sigr.ificam funding "'ill be available from either the San Francisoo Water Department or tile Santa Clan Valley Water District, bot continued contact should be maintained "'ith these agencies. it is recornm<nded thal the loans andlor Certificates of Participation be repaid by a combination of reclaimed water sales revenues, potable water sales revenues, and wastewater charges. It is difficult to ql.la."ltify an approp..r:iate charge for '\\IG.-."ieWater customen, but for illusttalive purposes, a nominal value of $100 per acre-ft has been used in de,eloping a cost all"""tion. In the past, it has been conventional practice to sen reclaimed water at a significan, discount (10 to 25 percent) beiow the potable water price. However, it is suggested that the reclaimed water price be set as near a.oe:. possible to the potable water price to obtain as much =ue from this 50= as possible. Mandatory .... Voluntary Use of Reclaimed WOW'. In the past, conventional practice has been to regard use of reclaimed w<!ler as voluntary on the part of water customers. A price diSCOUilt. such a! discussed above, has been one of the incentives used to encourage people to usc reclaimed water. However \ as water rec.larnation has become an integral part of water supply in =y areas of the countty, there has been a gradual shift from reliance on VOluntary use of reclaimed water to mandatory use in some situations. The Project Pa..~cipants will need to make <kci.sions regatding the degree to which they wish to rely on voluntary vs. :nandatory use. " , - 10 Water Reclamation Master Plan Prede<i:n investigations To implement :he rocommendedproject, specific preddgn investigations noed to be oompleted, These include the following: Cont'mnation or Users, Once a decision ;, made whel~er to rely 00 volunll'.l)' or mar.dalory use, ""'P' can be taken to conf.rm user. for each project stage. The \lsers ider.tif,cd for project d .... elopment in Chapter 6 are the startirg point for this step, but other users located close to :he distribution and conveyance lin .. can be included. Identificalioo of soil char.Ictetistic. for each reuse site is importanL The soils adjacent to San Francisco Bay arc ~ in cbar.lc!Cr and exhibit low permeabilities, and they th=fore pose pc>lCIlIDll problems for reuse. Potential mitigation measures include adding amendments to the soil or wac.:: ."d blending of reclaimed water with polable water. The soils away from :he hay exlnbit better cbaract:rislics and are not expcoted to pose problems. The soils classilication "y= in this Masler Plan, the Scil Survey ror the area, and (m some cases) on­ site soil. testing should 00 used to confum soils cha,acteristics. Pipeline Routio:. The pip<line routes used in this Master Plan were dove! oped after c:onsuIlation with the City staff, and represent =nabl. routes while avoiding obviow conilicts such as beavily traveled streets. Prior to detailed ~gn, ;,OWt,,,,, ~ de\3l1ed rouiing investigation should 00 completed, focusing on traffic and com munity di sruption, utilities int:rlemu:e, and appropriate meWods for cree!.: and higbway crossings. Re.ervoir Sitina;. Two reservoirs located off the site of the Regional Water Quality Control Plant are identified for the recommended projecl One wocld 00 located on the Stanford University campus and would 00 used to supply irrigation water to the camP"'. The other would 00 located near SllIlIfo,d Rese=:h Park. It would be used \0 serve ~"e re,,,,-en park plus omer nearby USC'S. Sites for these reservoirs need to be detennine.l. These rese. ','oirs would provide a static head for the reclaimed water system, and would allow cost savings by redocing the pumping S1aIi.on and pipeline capabilities needed. Role or Ttated Contaminated Ground .. aw-(TCG). TCG from groundwater conlllmination cleanup sites can be used to supplement the reclaimed water from the Regional W= QJa!ity Control Plant. Meth003 of =mplishing this and the viabiliry of doing ;0 should be ovaluated. CEQA I)ncnmeotation. The environmental impacts of the proposed reclamation project will need to be documented as requited by CEQA. It is reconunended that prior to Stage I, • program-I .... el ElR be prepared identifying the environmental impacts associated with all project stages. Stage 1 <an be ovaluated in that document on a :>roject-Icvel basis. As later Stages are ·BC-.... --~ ConSJjltams L .'.,. I f , t I , 'C. o Executive Summa.ry il implemented, a negative declaration, a mitiga~ negative declaration, or a fecused ErR can be prepared. BC --~ CrJnSI.Jltants ....... - OBJECTIVE ATTACHMENT 2 RECLAMATION POLrCY Regional Water Quality Contro! Plant 2501 Embarcadero Way Palo Alto, CA 94303 It is the obja'iive of the Regional Water Quality Contro', Piant (RWOCP) to enCO;Jrage the reuse of treated effluent Reuse halps the RWOCf' meet current and future pollutant m.ass loading fimitations imposed by regulatory agencies. Equally jmportan~ reuse conserves ~mrted water suppnes. The following RWOCP policy is designed to facilitate reuse whUe ensl..'ring that water users pay an appropriate sha:-9 of !h.e costs of Lrtiiizing reclaimed water. POUCY 1. The RWOCP will provide reclaimed water to the RWOCP Partners. The reclaimed water will. meet the State Hea!t'1 Department iequirements for unrestrJcted use. 2. The RWOCP Wlil not charge for reclaimed waler at this time. The cost of providing irrig8tioo-quality water is not signm~antly higher than that required for discharge to the bay. Should the plant add treatment units in the future solely to upgrade effiuenl quarrty for reus,;, user chJ2rges would be 6ppropriate. 3. The RWQCP will provide reclaimed waler at apprOximately 40 psi pressure at the plant property IT.,e. Booster pump stations and cf,stribu1ion systems wouid be paid for by the user. Alternately, bOoster stations and distribution systems could be paid lor by the RWOCP and the user will pay back the RWQCP as a charge for the water under a contract of speCified duratioo. 4. The RWOCP will not, at this time, treal the effluent to reduce the SoQ'WT1 Absorption Ratio (SAR) or other factors which tend to limit its suitabilitj for irrigation of certain plants. Ensuring that the effluent is compatible with project plant material (and any required blending);s the responsibility of the user. 5. The RWQCP wiH issue Reclaimed Water Use Permrts and requirements as required by the Regional Water Quality Conuol Board. 6. The RWQCP wil! be actively involved in the planning process for deveioping reclaimed water projects. The pro-active support of such projects is necessit~led not only by the need to conserve potable water, but also by the regulatory 01/24/90 po~cy, amended 7/14/92 cflscnarge requirements WIlieh became effeetiYe in April, 1991, Exceedances of tt'I.ese n~ requIrements 'or metals hav2 occurred rC1..1inely since their imposition.. Fa.lure te aggressively pursue all methods of reducing the strength and auaml!ll 01 the discharge to the Bay would increase the likelihood of floes and or other enforcement sanctions, RWOC? staff are managing the production of a preliminary design and EnvironmentallmpaC! Peport (EIR) \0 address technical, financial, and institutional issces framed by the recanty compieted Water ReClamation Master Plan. A Reclamation Task Forcs made up of those regula,iy invfled to the RWOCP Partners' meetings and a representatiYe 01 the Paio Ano Util"ies Departrnsnt will proviCle guidence on development of the EJR This poncy .... ;11 be revised as necessary to re1leC! the outcome of the EJR praces •. 01/24/90 policy, amended 7/14/92 "