To: Board of Directors, Sonoma County Water Agency
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Water Agency
Staff Name and Phone Number: Brad Sherwood, (707) 547-1927
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Fourth
Title:
Title
Agreement Between the Windsor Water District and the Sonoma County Water Agency Regarding Wastewater Collection and Treatment
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Authorize Sonoma County Water Agency’s General Manager to execute an agreement for Wastewater Collection and Treatment Between the Windsor Water District and Sonoma County Water Agency through June 30, 2034.
(Fourth District)
end
Executive Summary:
The Town of Windsor/Windsor Water District (Windsor) and the Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) have cooperated to transfer, store, and dispose of treated wastewater on a mutual-aid basis for many years between the Windsor Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) and Sonoma Water’s Airport-Larkfield-Wikiup Sanitation Zone (ALWSZ). The need to make substantial financial investment at the ALWSZ Treatment Plant on the order of $50,000,000 in estimated construction costs to extend its operational life has necessitated Windsor and Sonoma Water entering into a more comprehensive and permanent arrangement. Windsor and Sonoma Water would like to enter into an agreement whereby Windsor is responsible for collecting and treating wastewater from the ALWSZ on a contractual basis.
The proposed agreement will serve the best interests of the ratepayers of both Windsor and the ALWSZ by providing environmental benefits, increasing efficiency and water-supply resiliency, and avoiding expensive capital projects.
Discussion:
Sonoma Water owns and operates the ALWSZ that provides collection, treatment and reuse of wastewater in its service area. The ALWSZ provides service to about 2,144 parcels and annually treats approximately 250 to 350 million gallons per year. The ALWSZ includes three storage reservoirs with a combined capacity of about 300 million gallons. Sonoma Water recently evaluated ALWSZ wastewater transfer/treatment alternatives under a master planning effort. This evaluation developed planning level construction cost estimates to keep the ALWSZ Treatment Plant in operation for the next 20 years. The cost estimates included high-level expenses for construction, equipment and installation. Detailed project costs, such as engineering services, design, legal, administration, construction management and permitting costs were not factored into the planning level construction costs. Planning level construction cost estimates were on the order of $50,000,000.
Windsor’s Water Reclamation Facility has enough capacity to fully treat all the wastewater generated from ALWSZ. In addition, the Water Reclamation Facility is currently undergoing modernization projects that will also increase its capacity, in addition to other improvements. However, Windsor does not have adequate storage facilities to accommodate the reclaimed water produced by the Water Reclamation Facility as part of the wastewater treatment process. This results in Windsor currently discharging approximately a third of the reclaimed water produced by the Water Reclamation Facility into Mark West Creek, which drains to the Laguna De Santa Rosa, which is designated as an impaired waterway.
Windsor and Sonoma Water have cooperated to transfer, store and dispose of treated wastewater on a mutual-aid basis for many years, in accordance with the Agreement Regarding the Ownership, Construction, Operation, and Maintenance of Wastewater Facilities to Permit the Transfer, Storage, and Disposal of Treated Wastewater on a Mutual-Aid Basis and Agreement Regarding the Transfer and Use of Recycled Water. Transfers between Windsor and Sonoma Water are recognized and regulated by the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board.
Windsor and Sonoma Water desire to enter into an agreement whereby Windsor is responsible for collecting and treating wastewater from the ALWSZ on a contractual basis and can transfer and store recycled water from the WRF in recycled water storage ponds owned by Sonoma Water and located within the ALWSZ. There are existing pipelines that connect the ALWSZ Wastewater System to the Windsor Wastewater System that will facilitate this arrangement, however a plan to construct a new intertie connection to link the two systems on a more permanent and efficient basis is currently underway. The responsibilities and duties of Windsor and Sonoma Water will differ before and after the intertie connection is completed. Existing recycled water uses will not be altered by the proposed agreement. Windsor and Sonoma Water will enter into a separate agreement regarding the construction and funding of the intertie connection.
The need to make substantial financial investment in the ALWSZ Treatment Plant to extend its operational life, and the need to identify additional storage facilities for the Windsor WRF, has necessitated Windsor and Sonoma Water entering a more comprehensive and permanent arrangement. The capital investment needed to send untreated wastewater from the ALWSZ Treatment Plant to the Windsor WRF is estimated to be $2.8 million, significantly less than the estimated cost to extend the operational life of the ALWSZ Treatment Plant (planning level estimates $50,000,000). The proposed agreement will serve the best interests of the ratepayers of both Windsor and the ALWSZ by providing environmental benefits by reducing discharges to Mark West Creek, a tributary of the Laguna De Santa Rosa, increasing efficiency and water-supply resiliency by utilizing existing recycled water storage and offsetting potable water use with recycled water, and avoiding expensive capital projects by sharing reclamation facilities, not constructing $50,000,000 treatment plant improvements and additional storage, that would otherwise be necessary.
County of Sonoma Strategic Plan
N/A
Sonoma Water Strategic Plan Alignment
This item directly supports Sonoma Water’s Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following goal, strategy, and action item.
Goal: 2. Planning and Infrastructure - Implement comprehensive, integrated, and innovative infrastructure planning to strengthen existing services, minimize life cycle costs, and prepare for the future.
Strategy: 2.3 Fund and implement the planned capital and maintenance projects on schedule to ensure reliable services.
Action Item: 2.1.3 Continue to engage in planning efforts to support reliable wastewater and flood management services.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
04/16/2024: Board approved First Amended and Restated Agreement for Funding of Town of Windsor's Recycled Water Design Project with Town of Windsor
01/20/2020: Board approved Airport/Larkfield/Wikiup Sanitation Zone Agreement Regarding Transfer and Use of Recycled Water with the Town of Windsor
05/05/2009: Board approved First Amendment to December 13, 1988, Mutual Aid Agreement between the Airport Larkfield Wikiup Sanitation Zone and the Town of Windsor
12/13/1988: Sonoma County Board Supervisors approved an agreement between the Town of Windsor and County Service Area 31 (Sanitation Zone) permitting the transfers, storage and disposal of treated wastewater on a mutual-aid basis
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY23-24 Adopted |
FY24-25 Projected |
FY25-26 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
|
1,600,000 |
4,200,000 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
|
1,600,000 |
4,200,000 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
|
1,600,000 |
4,200,000 |
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
General Fund Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
|
1,600,000 |
4,200,000 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
There is no FY 2023/2024 fiscal impact associated with this item. Appropriations in the amount of $1,600,000 to pay Windsor to treat the Zone’s (ALWSZ) wastewater discharged into the Windsor Wastewater System during the initial transition of operations and maintenance to Windsor will be made in FY 2024/2025 in the Zone’s (ALWSZ) Operations Fund. Appropriations in FY 2025/2026 and subsequent years to pay Windsor to fully assume ALWSZ operations and maintenance will be made in those fiscal years.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Agreement
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None