BARR Drought Mitigation Measures – Project Status Updates

March 2024 (last updated)

Mitigation Measure 1: Transfer-Bethany Pipeline

The Transfer-Bethany Pipeline is a component of the Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion Project – see Mitigation Measure 7 below.

Mitigation Measure 2 and 5: Zone 7-SFPUC/EBMUD Intertie

The intertie is in conceptual phase, and the next steps include discussions between Zone 7 and EBMUD/SFPUC to reach an agreement-in-principle and to proceed with a pipeline alignment study and preliminary design. A 'reliability intertie' was included in Zone 7's FY 18/19 Ten-Year Water System CIP. With external funding, this project could potentially be accelerated.

Mitigation Measure 3a: ACWD-SFPUC Intertie and Local Supply

This project is at the conceptual level. There are no agreements in place or permits, and this project is not in the ACWD CIP. ACWD together with Union Sanitary District and SFPUC included elements of this concept as part of the Purified Water Feasibility Evaluation.

Mitigation Measure 3b: ACWD-SFPUC Intertie and Indirect Potable Reuse (IPR)

ACWD, SFPUC, and Union Sanitary District have completed a Purified Water Feasibility Study (PWFS) which focused on feasibility, regulatory and permitting requirements, and limnological studies at Quarry Lakes. The PWFS was completed before the development of PFAS regulations and, due to the presence of PFAS in the Niles Cone, additional facility and cost considerations will be needed for project partnership. The PWFS was also completed before the finalization of the DPR regulations and so the final DPR regulations will need to be considered in future reports. The team intends to submit the project to the Bureau of Reclamation’s Title XVI program for potential future funding at a later time. There are no agreements in place, and no permits. ACWD has this project partially funded in its CIP.

Mitigation Measure 4: West Side SFPUC-Valley Water Intertie

Planning for the project has not yet commenced.

Mitigation Measure 6: MMWD-EBMUD Intertie

This project is currently on hold as other supply alternatives are evaluated by MMWD.

Mitigation Measure 7: Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion

The Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion Project was conditionally awarded $477 million in funding for this project through the California Water Commission’s Water Storage Improvement Program. CCWD, together with project partners, including many BARR agencies, have formed the Los Vaqueros Reservoir Joint Powers Authority to finance the project. Congress has appropriated $164 million for the project to date. The Notice of Determination was filed May 2020. Permitting is underway and expected to be completed by 2024, and design work is on-going.

Mitigation Measure 8: Walnut Creek Water Treatment Plant Pretreatment Facility

This measure allows EBMUD to treat water from the Sacramento River, Los Vaqueros Reservoir, and other sources, enabling EBMUD to deliver supplies to neighboring water agencies. Planning and pre-design activities are underway for this project. Currently, EBMUD is planning to update the plant in phases. Half of the plant will initially be upgraded to full treatment capability, providing up to 80 MGD. A planned future phase would upgrade the other half of the plant, allowing full treatment up 160 MGD, enough to meet EBMUD’s long-term needs.

Mitigation Measure 9: Regional Desalination Plant

Several agencies have expressed interest in potentially moving forward with the regional desalination project. Several studies and a pilot scale test have been conducted between 2003-2013. With external funding support, environmental review, permitting and design can be initiated. Private funds such as a P3 approach, can be leveraged in addition to public funding as options for this project. This project may be envisioned in conjunction with the LV Expansion (Measure 7) by some partner agencies. 

Mitigation Measure 10: Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center (SVAWPC)

Valley Water continues to collaborate with the Cities of San Jose and Santa Clara in the production of advanced purified water using treated wastewater from the San Jose-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility. The SVAWPC can produce up to 8 million gallons of purified water per day, which is currently blended with recycled water to improve the quality for non-potable use for use by a wider variety of customers. Since March 2014, the SVAWPC has demonstrated the effectiveness of advanced treatment technologies (microfiltration, reverse osmosis, and ultraviolet light) to produce purified water suitable for potable uses and set the stage for Valley Water to begin a potable reuse program. In addition, the SVAWPC is used to conduct engineering studies as well as testing various new technologies and provide a forum for public education and outreach for both direct and indirect portable reuse. Valley Water continues to discuss opportunities to develop potable reuse supply with its countywide project partners throughout the county.

Mitigation Measure 11: SF-Peninsula Regional PureWater (SPRP)

The SFPUC and BAWSCA along with other non-BARR partners including Redwood City, Mid-Peninsula, Cal Water, the City of San Mateo, and Silicon Valley Clean Water are working jointly on this purified water project.  SPRP could provide up to 12 mgd of purified water for potable reuse, with an initial IPR phase of 6-8 mgd being provided through reservoir water augmentation at Crystal Springs Reservoir. The second phase of the project would allow for an additional 4-6 mgd direct potable reuse through treated drinking water augmentation for local use in the Peninsula. Early studies analyzed the feasibility of treatment and distribution and provided feasible scenarios for institutional structure and costs. The partners intend to apply for external funding for design and other site-specific studies.

Mitigation Measure 12: Joint Tri-Valley Potable Reuse Feasibility Study

Potable reuse is one of the alternative water supply  options being considered by Zone 7. A feasibility study was completed in 2018, concluding that there are several feasible options for implementing potable reuse in the Tri-Valley. Additional studies are ongoing over the next several years to determine the need for potable reuse as a supply alternative, and to narrow down the best potable reuse option/s for the Tri-Valley. External funding will lower the unit cost of this water supply and may make it a more attractive water supply option compared to  other options. The feasibility study can be found here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/pxcyajryga5j61s/potable_reuse_feasibility_study_May-2018.df?dl=0

Mitigation Measure 13: Regional Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Feasibility Assessment

All eight BARR agencies have AMI as an element of meeting future conservation goals. Some agencies are still working on the business case (e.g., replace all meters quickly versus gradually over time) while others have already established a full deployment schedule. Valley Water has made significant progress working with water retailers in Santa Clara County to advance AMI and has four water retailers predominately using AMI, and in June 2023 finalized a new cost-sharing agreement to advance AMI in a fifth service area. ACWD implemented approximately 80% AMI deployment and is scheduled for complete meter installation by May 2024. The SFPUC started installation of AMI in 2010, and AMI is now fully deployed for over 180,000 retail and wholesale customers.

Mitigation Measure 14: Del Valle Reservoir Water Supply Storage Project

“Del Valle Reservoir Water Supply Storage Expansion Project” has been expanded. The original project envisioned modernizing the flood management rules at Del Valle Reservoir to use a greater portion of existing reservoir capacity to capture additional local supply and store additional emergency water supply while maintaining necessary flood protection. Specifically, the concept included a variety of scenarios based on reoperation of the existing flood pool using forecast informed reservoir operations (FIRO). In 2018, the SBA Contractors completed a high-level evaluation of the feasibility of modernizing flood rules, expanding emergency storage, and replacing/relocating East Bay Regional Parks District (EBRPD) facilities, while also evaluating an additional project that would modify existing EBRPD facilities to accommodate lake lowering to capture more local run-off. Although the 2018 feasibility study identified substantial benefits from the original reoperation scenarios with FIRO, the workgroup recognized that the Department of Water Resources (DWR), the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and other governmental bodies would need to become heavily involved to advance these concepts, and therefore recommended the lake lowering project instead. Recently, however, DWR and USACE have taken a more active role. In October 2021, DWR requested a “minor deviation” to the water control manual at Del Valle Reservoir. In December 2021, upon approval from USACE, DWR implemented a reoperation scenario using FIRO at Del Valle Reservoir that allowed DWR to increase temporary conservation pool storage up to approximately 3,850 AF at a lake level of 707.06 ft. To avoid flooding any EBRPD facilities, however, DWR limited the additional storage in the reservoir to below 1,625 AF or an operational level target of 704 ft. Lastly, several of the BARR agencies are participating in a consortium to implement a regional x-band radar system that would support an expanded Forecast Informed Reservoir Operation program.

Mitigation Measure 15: Bay Area Shared Water Access Program (Previously called Regional Water Market)

This project was funded in part by a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation which involved three pilot projects:

• Project 1a - Simulation of delivery from LVE to ACWD (exchange) and San Antonio Reservoir (direct transfer) via the SBA.
• Project 2a – Supply exchange of stored CVP supply between CCWD and Valley Water. The pilot involves CCWD first transferring 5,000 acre-feet of its CVP allocation to Valley Water in 2021, and Valley Water would potentially return the same amount of its CVP water to CCWD at a later date. Due to wet hydrological conditions and a full CVP allocation in 2023, Valley Water and CCWD have opted to exercise the “offramp” option included in the pilot project agreement wherein Valley Water paid CCWD an additional consideration of $20/acre-foot for CCWD’s services in lieu of returning the water, thus successfully concluding the pilot exchange project. 
• Project 3 - Supply Exchange of CVP supply between CCWD and EBMUD.

In March 2023, a strategy report was completed that summarized the findings and lessons learned from the three pilots and with input from the Bay Area SWAP Stakeholder Task Force. The strategy report established a framework and path forward to support regional access to supplies. 

Acronyms

ACWD              Alameda County Water District

BAWSCA          Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency

CCWD              Contra Costa Water District

EBMUD            East Bay Municipal Utility District

MMWD             Marin Municipal Water District

SFPUC             San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

SWAP               Shared Water Access Program

Valley Water      Santa Clara Valley Water District

Zone 7             Zone 7 Water Agency