BOARD AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Government Code § 84308 Applies: Yes ☐ No ☒
(If “YES” Complete Attachment A - Gov. Code § 84308)
SUBJECT:
Title
Receive an Update on the Proposed Potable Reuse Project.
End
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Following the May 16 Board meeting, receive an update on a proposed potable reuse pilot project at the Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center and refer follow up to the Recycled Water Committee.
Body
SUMMARY:
The City of San José (City) is the administering agency for the San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility (RWF), a joint powers agency of the State of California, and manages and operates the South Bay Water Recycling System (SBWR), which delivers 13,000 acre-feet of recycled water per year to customers in San José, Santa Clara, and Milpitas.
Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) and the City have a multi-decade history of successfully collaborating including development and promotion of the use of recycled water and the construction of the Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center (SVAWPC), which opened in 2014. SVAWPC enhances the quality of water delivered by SBWR and serves as a public outreach platform for potable reuse as well as a research center for new treatment technologies. Valley Water and the City signed a 40-year Integration Agreement in 2010 followed by the Ground Lease Agreements and Operations & Maintenance Agreements in 2012. These agreements govern the joint Operations & Maintenance of SVAWPC.
Building on the successful collaboration on the SVAWPC, in January 2023, the Cities of San José and Santa Clara and Valley Water signed a Letter of Intent to continue collaborating on the expansion of water reuse. As such, staff from both agencies have continued working together to evaluate and develop a feasible project. One such projects could be a Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) Pilot.
DPR is the delivery of purified water to a drinking water treatment plant or a drinking water distribution system without an environmental buffer (such as groundwater). Additional treatment, monitoring, and/or an engineered buffer(s) would be used in place as environmental buffer to provide equivalent public health protection and response time if the purified water does not meet specifications. Staff from both agencies have developed a draft project plan for a DPR pilot (Attachment 1).
The California State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) is currently developing Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) regulations. They recently (July 12, 2023) released the latest draft for DPR regulations. During the remainder of 2023, the proposed regulations will go through the review and public comment process. It is expected that by December 2023, the final package of regulations will be submitted for the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) processing, leading to promulgation of the regulations in 2024.
Valley Water has been focused on the regulatory developments by reviewing work products from the Expert Panel and DDW and participation in various related meetings and workshops. Valley Water also has been involved in studies that directly support the implementation of future DPR projects. Valley Water staff have also joined other utilities in California in technical panels and other forums with the focus on extensive review and synchronization of comments and feedback on DPR regulations. For example, in 2021-2022, staff joined a DPR Working Group managed by WaterReuse California (WRCA). This forum includes representatives from various agencies from Southern and Northern California (e.g., Orange County Water District, Metropolitan Water District, Monterey One Water, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, etc.) as well as consultants. Valley Water staff will continue to follow the developments of the DPR regulations and will review and analyze future materials as they are released.
The proposed DPR Pilot project would be a win-win project for Valley Water and the RWF by preparing both agencies for a future DPR project, as well as ensuring public and regulatory support for potable reuse. This would be an important and impactful next step in developing a larger DPR project that will assist both agencies in ensuring preparedness for the forthcoming regulations.
Staff has performed benchmarking with other agencies on the potential scope and range of costs for a potable reuse pilot project. The preliminary analysis and evaluation indicate an estimated cost of up to $25 million for a 1 Million Gallons per Day (MGD) pilot facility. Staff will work with the RWC and the Joint Recycled Water Policy Advisory Committee (JRWPAC) to further develop this proposal and submit a proposed project for consideration as part of the Capital Improvement Program (CIP).
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IMPACT:
There is no Environmental Justice Impact from this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The design and capital costs of the pilot is currently estimated at $20-25 million with yearly operating costs of $1 million. This draft cost estimate will continue to be developed as the project is further defined and submitted as part of the CIP process.
CEQA:
The update on the proposed potable reuse pilot project at the SVAWPC is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The proposed pilot project would have to undergo further CEQA analysis.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Potable Reuse Pilot Project Plan
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER:
Manager
Kirsten Struve, 408-630-3138