Project Objectives - California Feasibility Documentation.pdfAttach feasibility studies or documentation that demonstrates the proposed project’s technical, environmental, economic,

Chino Basin Conjunctive Use Environmental Water Storage/Exchange Section: Feasibility & Implementation Risk

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A1 Feasibility Documentation Attach feasibility studies or documentation that demonstrates the proposed project’s technical, environmental, economic, and financial feasibility as described in TR section 3.5. See also regulations section 6003(a)(1)(O).

Project Objectives • Utilize a wasted local supply and put to beneficial use – the project will secure a recycled water

supply source that is currently discharged to the Santa Ana River. • Create a reliable local water supply that is independent of climate. • Improve local groundwater quality to reduce localized treatment requirements. • Expand the current conjunctive use management strategies and operations currently happening

in the Chino basin. • Implement a program that aligns with the California Water Action Plan. • Allow for continued operation of the Regions existing RW system by providing TDS removal – each

time water is recycled it increases 200-300 ppm of salts. • Help address local land subsidence issues by strategically recharging/injecting water in known

areas of concern. • Reduce dependence of imported water within the service area by maximizing the use of a locally

generated water supply. • Leverage existing facilities to provide greatest public benefit. • Provide a mechanism to improve local groundwater quality issues with the addition of advanced

treated water into the groundwater system. • Address previous Regional Water Quality Control Board’s (RWQCB) requirements of salt

management for the Chino Basin with the removal of TDS through the AWT process. • Help meet Basin Plan objectives established by the RWQCB for water quality. • Provide added underflow which will enable the capability to increase surface spreading of tertiary

treated recycled water.

Project Description The proposed Chino Basin Conjunctive Use Environmental Water Storage/Exchange Program (Chino Basin Environmental Water Program - CBEWP) would construct an advanced water treatment facility and distribution system that would treat and store up to 15,000 acre-feet per year of recycled water in the Chino Basin Water Bank (CBWB), creating a new local water supply. Through agreements with the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and other project partners, the bank would be operated in a way that dedicates blocks of water of up to 50,000 acre-feet per year towards ecosystem benefits north of the Delta. Based upon historic hydrologic conditions, this would provide for important ecological benefits in the Bay-Delta watershed in approximately thirty percent of all years, with a focus on improved ecological flow benefits in dry and critical years.

The CBEWP will provide up to 100,000 acre-feet of storage capacity in the CBWB for managing water dedicated to environmental purposes, and an additional 100,000 acre-feet of “borrowing capacity” of previously stored water to provide early environmental benefits ahead of production of the new local water supply, potentially as early as 2020, and additional flexibility in providing blocks of environmental water. Through this approach, the CBEWP can be operated in a way to provide up to 50,000 acre-feet per


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year for up to three consecutive dry years. In this way, the project is designed to provide the capacity to provide ecological flow benefits during the years when the system most needs these benefits.

The CBEWP will leverage a partnership with an existing State Water Project Contractor (SWPC). This partnership, together with agreements to be developed with DWR and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW), would allow for this new local water supply, stored in the CBWB, to be exchanged with an equivalent amount of State Water Project (SWP) water supply.

The CBEWP would operate in the following manner. The new local water supply would be pumped from the CBWB for the SWPC use in lieu of their SWP water supply, allowing an equivalent amount of water supply to be dedicated north of the Delta for environmental benefit. The CBEWP includes developing agreements and infrastructure necessary to produce the additional 15,000 acre-feet per year of new local water supply, and agreements to ensure that blocks of up to 50,000 acre-feet of exchange water are available in years that will provide the greatest environmental benefit for a period of 25 years. The CBEWP would be integrated into the existing CBWB, a successful groundwater banking program Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) has already undertaken. The CBWB would dedicate storage capacity to the operation of this CBEWP, providing a firm and reliable supply for environmental purposes. In summary, the elements for the CBEWP are as follows:

Proposed project assets to be acquired with WSIP funds 1. Secure commitment for ongoing discharge of 15,000 acre-feet per year of treated wastewater from

upstream sources tributary to the Santa Ana River for 25 years. Estimated capital cost: $95M. 2. Construct advanced water treatment and distribution facilities to produce and store 15,000 acre-feet

per year and recharge this treated water for storage in the Chino Basin Water Bank (CBWB). Estimated capital cost: $180M.

3. Construct facilities to extract and treat water withdrawn from the CBWB and connect to a partnering State Water Project Contractor (SWPC) (Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWDSC) and/or the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District (SBVMWD)) distribution system with capacity of 50,000 acre-feet per year. Estimated capital cost: $205M.

Proposed financing of ongoing operations and maintenance costs 1. The annual operations and maintenance (O&M) costs will be allocated among the local agencies and

SWPC 2. Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) to pay approximately 75 percent of total anticipated costs for

O&M of $910 per acre-foot for 25 years. IEUA to pay all ongoing O&M costs after 25 years. 3. Partnering SWPC to pay approximately 25 percent of total anticipated costs for annual O&M of $910

per acre-foot for 25 years. (To be negotiated) 4. Project assets revert to IEUA after the end of 25 years for local use. Proposed project operational parameters: 1. Reserve 100,000 acre-feet of storage capacity in the CBWB for CBEWP, to be used for deposit of up

to 15,000 acre-feet per year for 25 years of water produced by the project’s advanced water treatment facilities, and accessible for withdrawal at a maximum capacity of 50,000 acre-feet per year, when an ecosystem need arises (dry and critical years in the operations proposed here, and up to three years in sequence).

2. Provide up to 50,000 acre-feet per year of “borrowed water” from the CBWB in advance of deposits, with a maximum “credit limit” of 100,000 acre-feet. Any borrowed water must be returned to the CBWB by the end of 25 years.


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Proposed project operational strategy 1. 15,000 acre-feet per year of new water produced by the advanced water treatment facilities will be

stored in the CBWB. 2. When an ecosystem need arises (dry and critical years in the operations proposed here), up to 50,000

acre-feet per year for up to three sequential years can be extracted from the CBWB and provided to the partnering SWPC.

3. Partnering SWPC would forebear delivery of SWP Table A delivery of an equivalent amount provided by the CBWB.

4. State of California Department of Water Resources (DWR) would dedicate the equivalent amount of water that would have been delivered to the partnering SWPC to instream flow purposes and release from Lake Oroville per a schedule provided by California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW).

Proposed institutional arrangements 1. DFW agrees to manage its participation in the CBEWP. DFW agrees to make calls for water for

instream flow purposes subject to terms of their participation, including availability of stored water or borrowing capacity, in quantities and schedule DFW determines will provide optimum ecosystem benefit.

2. DWR agrees to seek a water right change under Section 1707 of the Water Code to provide the ability to dedicate water released from Lake Oroville for instream flow purposes. Terms of the water right change would include conditions and requirements for implementing dedicated instream flow, including availability of alternative water to substitute for scheduled delivery of Table A water to SWPC and no injury to other water rights holders and SWP contractors. DWR agrees to release water from Lake Oroville per terms of agreement and an approved Water Code Section 1707 petition and further agrees not to export those releases. DWR agrees to negotiate and complete any needed amendments to the SWP water supply contract with SWPC.

3. IEUA agrees to manage CBEWP operations within the CBWB and provide water to SWPC subject to availability when called by DFW.

4. SWPC agrees to accept alternative supply from CBWB when called by DFW and forebear delivery of SWP Table A. SWPC agrees to pay IEUA a to-be-determined contribution towards operating costs of the water bank, as informed by the cost savings realized by not paying transportation costs for delivery of SWP water and any reduced treatment costs associated with the improved quality of CBEWP supplies compared to imported SWP water. SWPC agrees to negotiate and complete any needed amendments to SWP water supply contract with DWR.

Project Elements The proposed project can be accomplished reliably by utilizing advanced treated recycled water. Treating and storing recycled water is one of the most reliable water supplies available, as it is independent of climate. It is assumed that the proposed project will take approximately 5-10 years to construct. The table below is provided to show the potential recycled water available by year 2025.

Potential Recycled Water Supply & Demand Forecast Description AFY (2018) AFY (2025) 1. Available RW from IEUA 20,260 20,100 2. AWT of IEUA’s RW (15 TAF) 17,650 17,650 3. Remaining unused RW (Row 1 – Row 2) 2,610 2,450 4. Discharge Obligation 14,000 – 17,000 14,000 – 17,000 5. Additional Water Acquisition for

discharge obligation (Row 4 – Row 3) 12,000 – 15,000 12,000 – 15,000


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All the water needed for the AWT for the project can be provided from IEUA’s recycled water supply. The future projections conservatively take into consideration the decreased influent flows to the wastewater treatment plants that many of the wastewater agencies have experienced. If the project is approved, commitments would be made such that no new demands are connected to the IEUA RW system until a supply source (from growth or external acquisition) has been completed.

Based on the potential partnership with two SWPC’s, the proposed project will include two project options. With Option 1a focusing on facilities needed to partner with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and Option 1b with San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District.

Option 1a – Performance through Metropolitan Water District of Southern California After a request is made, the Chino basin will produce an equivalent amount of stored groundwater and pump it into the Upper Feeder Pipeline (an existing MWD pipeline) to supplement water supply within the MWD service area as shown in the figure below. Then MWD, on IEUA’s behalf, will release an equivalent amount of water north of the Delta at the requested time and location.

The proposed list of activities for this option include the necessary treatment and distribution facilities to ensure that the supplemented water pumped into the Upper Feeder Pipeline will meet or exceed all water quality requirements. The total estimated capital cost is $425 million with a unit cost for supply of $910 per AF delivered. To note, the proposed project utilizes existing wastewater treatment plants to provide preliminary treatment prior to the advanced treatment process. Costs associated with these facilities are not included in the table below and will be locally funded.


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Description Qty Unit Cost ($M) Total ($M) Pipeline, Pump Station and Connection to CVWD/FWC LS $25 $25 Pipeline, Pump Station and Connection to WFA LS $25 $25 New Production Wells (10) 10 $2 $20 Existing Production Wells (10) 10 $0 $0 New Treatment for (10) Wells 10 $4 $40 Pipeline and Connections for (20) Wells 20 $2 $40 Water Supply Commitment LS $95 $95 Advanced Water Treatment of IEUA's Recycled Water LS $80 $80

Advanced Water Treatment of RW w/Pomona & MVWD LS $100 $100

Total Capital Cost $425

Option 1b – Performance through San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District After a request is made, the Chino basin will produce an equivalent amount of stored groundwater and pump it into the Baseline Feeder Pipeline (combination of existing and new pipelines) to supplement water supply within the SBVMWD service area as shown in the figure below. Then SBVMWD, on IEUA’s behalf will release an equivalent amount of water north of the Delta at the requested time and location.

The proposed list of activities for this option include the necessary treatment and distribution facilities to ensure that the supplemented water pumped into the Baseline Feeder Pipeline will meet or exceed all water quality requirements. The total estimated capital cost is $480 million with a unit cost for supply of $910 per AF delivered. To note, the proposed project utilizes existing wastewater treatment plants to provide preliminary treatment prior to the advanced treatment process. Costs associated with these facilities are not included in the table below and will be locally funded.


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Description Qty Unit Cost ($M) Total ($M) Baseline Feeder Extension #1 to CVWD/FWC LS $30 $30 Baseline Feeder Extension #2 to WFA LS $20 $20 Pipelines from Wells to Baseline Feeder 2 $20 $40 Pump Station LS $15 $15 New Production Wells (10) 10 $2 $20 Existing Production Wells (10) 10 $0 $0 New Treatment for (10) Wells 10 $4 $40 Pipeline and Connections for (20) Wells 20 $2 $40 Water Supply Commitment LS $95 $95

Advanced Water Treatment of IEUA's Recycled Water LS $80 $80

Advanced Water Treatment of RW w/Pomona & MVWD LS $100 $100

Total Capital Cost $480

The above project description will be evaluated in detail as part of the WSIP proposed project.

Project Costs The total estimated capital cost could range between $425 and $480 million based on which project option is implemented, with a unit cost for supply of $910 per AF delivered. The project is proposing to pay for 75% of the of the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) costs, and would seek 25% of the O&M costs to be covered by the SWPC for deferred energy costs associated with pumping by taking water from this project. As a result, the project is not seeking any funding for O&M for providing 100% of the water supply


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benefit offered to meet north of the Delta instream flow needs. The project is assuming that there is a local benefit to the partnering SWPC for taking water supply from Chino, in particular savings on energy and pumping costs when compared to SWP deliveries. Its anticipated that approximately 25% of the annual O&M could be subsidized by the partnering SWPC. IEUA and the Chino basin parties will contribute up to 75% of the annual O&M.

Type Cost Description

Capital $0 100% Grant funding

TAKE O&M – Pumping ($150) Groundwater

TAKE O&M – GW Assessment ($60) Groundwater (Watermaster Assessment)

PUT O&M – AWT ($700) AWT treatment, brine disposal and injection

Supply Unit Cost ($910) $/AF

Project Benefits Summary The CBEWP demonstrates a new model of meeting environmental water needs dependably, efficiently, and dynamically. As discussed above, the proposed program produces numerous environment and other public benefits. These benefits are summarized below.

Environmental Benefits: • A highly reliable new water supply of 15,000 acre-feet per year formally dedicated to

environmental benefit that can be deployed dynamically and managed flexibly to address varying, changing ecological needs

• Reserved capacity in the CBWB and borrowing provisions that will allow the new dedicated water supply to be deployed north of the Delta in “environmental water blocks” of up to 50,000 acre-feet per year in approximately 30 percent of years

• Environmental water can be released from Lake Oroville as spring pulse flows to benefit migrating Feather River spring run chinook salmon instream, provide rearing habitat on managed floodplains, or flexibly contribute toward other environmental needs as conditions or ecological priorities change.

• Consistent year-round flow in the reaches of the Santa Ana River that provides ecological benefits, such as the support of habitat for Santa Ana Sucker Fish.

Other Public Benefits: • Enhanced water quality: Provides a mechanism to improve local groundwater quality issues with

the recharge of advanced treated water into the groundwater system. Addresses previous Regional Water Quality Control Board’s requirement of salt management needs for the Chino Basin with the removal of TDS through the AWT process. And helps meet Basin Plan objectives established by the RWQCB for water quality

• Emergency Response Supply: The additional water stored in the CBEWP will enhance emergency response water supply availability for IEUA and other participating agencies during crises such as flood, fire or seismic events that disable imported water infrastructure.

• Reliability: Water created by the project through production of advanced water treatment (annual supply of 15,000 acre-feet) is reliable in all year types. The water can also be stored in all year types.


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• Flexibility: Water created and stored by the project can be flexibly managed and deployed. The storage account may be used for environmental benefits all in one year, spread out across several years, or potentially be pre-delivered with certain agreements in place.

• Short time-to-delivery: New water and storage projects typically require a long development time to secure funding, conduct environmental reviews, complete permitting, etc. This proposed project can provide environmental benefits as early as 2020.

Other Non-Public Benefits • Provides infrastructure for improved water supply reliability after a 25-year commitment to

provide environmental water supplies in completed. • Resilience without side effects: This project will create and store new water to bolster regional

water supply resilience while protecting that additional supply from inefficient water uses or development. Reduces dependence on imported water within the service area by maximizing the use of a locally generated water supply. Improves flexibility for management of the SWP by providing new local supplies to meet SWP water delivery obligations.

• Minimizes Land Subsidence: Alleviates historical land subsidence issues with targeted recharge to appropriate groundwater management zones.

• Delays Costly Future Infrastructure Needs: Helps defer implementation of salinity removal projects within the Santa Ana River Watershed

• Increases Opportunities for Recharge: Provides added underflow which will provide the capability to increase surface spreading of advanced treated water.

The conjunctive use project will increase the amount of recharge to the basin with waters that will increase the local supply as well as improve the Chino Basin groundwater level and quality through the advanced water treatment and injection process. Following are detailed discussion of three major potential benefits.

Cost Allocation The proposed project qualifies as a conjunctive use project and 100% of the program costs and corresponding benefits will be assigned to meet instream flow needs. The project is not seeking any subsidy for the cost of the Operation and Maintenance (O&M); 100% of the water supply benefit is being offered to meet instream flow needs. The O&M costs will be paid by the local retail water agencies at 75% and at 25% for the SWPC that would take the delivery of the water from this project. The project will evaluate and update a Cost of Service (COS) study to determine the most appropriate means to collect project required revenue, either from water rates and/or connection fees. The last COS study was completed in 2015.

Technical Feasibility The Chino Basin consists of about 235 square miles of the upper Santa Ana River watershed. The boundary of the Chino Basin is legally defined in the 1978 Judgment in the case of Chino Basin Municipal Water District vs. the City of Chino et al. Chino Basin is an alluvial valley that is relatively flat from east to west and slopes from the north to the south at a one to two percent grade. Valley elevation ranges from about 2,000 feet in the foothills to about 500 feet near Prado Dam. Chino Basin is bounded:

• on the north by the San Gabriel Mountains and the Cucamonga Basin; • on the east by the Rialto-Colton Basin, Jurupa Hills, and the Pedley Hills; • on the south by the La Sierra area and the Temescal basin; and


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• on the west by the Chino Hills, Puente Hills, and the Pomona and Claremont Basins.

The Chino Basin is one of the largest groundwater basins in southern California with about 5,000,000 acre-ft of groundwater and an unused storage capacity of about 1,000,000 acre-ft. Cities and other water supply entities produce groundwater for all or part of their municipal and industrial supplies; and about 300 to 400 agricultural users produce groundwater from the Basin. The Chino Basin is an integral part of the regional and statewide water supply system. Prior to 1978, the Basin was in an overdraft condition. After 1978, the Basin has been operated as described in the 1978 Judgment.

The principal drainage course of the Chino Basin is the Santa Ana River, which flows 69 miles across the Santa Ana Watershed from its origin in the San Bernardino Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. The Santa Ana River enters the Basin at the Riverside Narrows and flows along the southern boundary to the Prado Flood Control Reservoir where it is eventually discharged through the outlet at Prado Dam. Chino Basin is traversed by a series of ephemeral and perennial streams that include: Chino Creek, San Antonio Creek, Cucamonga Creek, Deer Creek, Day Creek, Etiwanda Creek and San Sevaine Creek.

These creeks carry significant flows only during, and for a short time after, storm events that typically occur from November through March. Year-round flow occurs along the entire reach of the Santa Ana River due to year-round surface inflows at Riverside Narrows, discharges from municipal water recycling plants to the river between the Narrows and Prado Dam, and rising groundwater. Rising groundwater occurs in Chino Creek, in the Santa Ana River at Prado Dam, and potentially other locations on the Santa Ana River depending on climate and season. The rising groundwater in Chino Creek and the Santa Ana River contains high concentrations of total dissolved solids (TDS). Year-round discharges are sustained and supplemented by discharges from regional wastewater treatment plants.

The Chino Basin Optimum Basin Management Program (OBMP) was developed pursuant to the 1978 Judgment and a ruling by the Court on February 19,1998 (WEI, 1999). The OBMP maps a strategy that provides for the enhanced yield of the Chino Basin and seeks to provide reliable, high quality, water supplies for development that is expected to occur within the Basin. The OBMP Implementation Plan is the court-approved governing document for achieving the goals defined in the OBMP. The OBMP Implementation Plan includes the following Program Elements (PE):

• Program Element 1 – Develop and Implement a Comprehensive Monitoring Program • Program Element 2 – Develop and Implement a Comprehensive Recharge Program • Program Element 3 – Develop and Implement a Water Supply Plan for the Impaired Areas of the

Basin • Program Element 4 – Develop and Implement a Regional Supplemental Water Program • Program Element 5 – Develop and Implement a Comprehensive Groundwater Management Plan

for Management Zone 1 • Program Element 6 – Develop and Implement Cooperative Programs with the Regional Board and

Other Agencies to Improve Basin Management • Program Element 7 – Develop and Implement a Salt Management Program • Program Element 8 – Develop and Implement a Groundwater Storage Management Program • Program Element 9 – Develop and Implement Conjunctive Use Programs

A fundamental component in the implementation of each of the OBMP PEs is the monitoring performed in accordance with PE 1, which includes the monitoring of basin hydrology, pumping, recharge,


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groundwater levels, groundwater quality, and ground-level movement. With the Peace Agreement, the local Chino basin parties developed time frames for implementing the PEs, tasks, and projects in accordance with the OBMP.

Details of the technical feasibility of operating the proposed Chino groundwater storage bank are provided in the reports referenced below.

• OBMP and State of the Basin Report - http://www.cbwm.org/rep_engineering.htm • Chino basin Recharge Master Plan Update - http://rmp.wildermuthenvironmental.com/ • PEACE Agreement – http://www.cbwm.org/rep_legal.htm • OBMP Implementation Plan - http://www.cbwm.org/rep_legal.htm

The advanced water treatment (AWT) facility will further treat the tertiary-treated recycled water which will be injected into the groundwater system to increase local groundwater storage and to improve groundwater quality. The AWT technologies are industry-proven, have state-of-the-art monitoring and control technologies, and provide multiple processes to ensure safe and high-quality water. The project may include two AWT facilities: 5-MGD AWT facility for the City of Pomona’s recycled water and 15-MGD AWT facility for IEUA’s recycled water. A feasibility study was prepared for the 5-MGD AWT facility and included a description of the alternatives, the recommended facility and processes, the associated costs, the available water supply, conveyance, and potential facility locations. The 15-MGD AWT facility will utilize similar processes and technology. Shown on Figure 2 represents IEUA master planning effort of proposed recharge facilities throughout the basin, contributing to the common goal of increasing reliability of the Chino Basin water supply and improving regional water security and drought resiliency by increasing the water supplies available to the region. A follow-up feasibility study will be prepared to determine the most beneficial opportunities for locating the AWT and injection facilities.

http://www.cbwm.org/rep_engineering.htm

http://rmp.wildermuthenvironmental.com/

http://www.cbwm.org/rep_legal.htm

http://www.cbwm.org/rep_legal.htm


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Environmental Feasibility As described above, the project includes several elements:

1. Acquire 15,000 acre-feet per year of treated wastewater from upstream sources tributary to the Santa Ana River for each year of the 25-year project life span.

2. Construct advanced water treatment and distribution facilities to produce and store 15,000 acre-feet per year and recharge this treated water in each year of the 25-year project life span for storage in the Chino Basin Water Bank (CBWB).

3. Construct facilities to extract and treat water withdrawn from the CBWB and connect to a partnering State Water Project Contractor (SWPC) distribution system with capacity of 50,000 acre-feet per year.

4. 100,000 acre-feet of storage capacity in the CBWB

The extent to which these various elements are covered under existing CEQA documentation, and the path forward for further CEQA documentation is described in Table 1.Table 1: CBEWP Project

Elements and Environmental Document Project Element Environmental Document Date of Completion

1. Acquisition of 15,000 AF treated wastewater from upstream Santa Ana River sources

SARCCUP NOP Jan 2017

2. Advanced water treatment and distribution facilities to produce 15,000 AF for CBWB storage.

IEUA FMP PEIR (Referenced as an identified alternative in the

alternative analysis, RW Program Strategy, RP-5/RP-1 Expansion

PDR)

Feb 2017

3a. Facilities to extract, treat, distribute 50,000 AF from CBWB to SWPC. (Interconnection to SWPC infrastructure, some new wells, and well head treatment)

IEUA FMP PEIR (Referencing to IEUA Integrated Water Resources

Plan IRP)

Feb 2017

3b. Facilities to extract, treat, distribute 50,000 AF from CBWB to SWPC. (Baseline Feeder, some new wells and well head treatment)

SARCCUP NOP Jan 2017

4a. Short-term Storage (100,000 AF) within Chino Basin Water Bank

OBMP EIR Addendum Mar 2017

4b. Long-term Storage (100,000 AF) within Chino Basin Water Bank

Chino Basin Storage Expansion PEIR (to commence early 2019)

Mid-to-late 2020

IEUA will integrate the CBEWP into the Chino Basin Storage Expansion PEIR. The PEIR will encompass both those elements that have been evaluated under an existing EIR, and additional elements, that together complete the CBEWP.

The Chino Basin Water Master is commissioning a hydrogeologic evaluation of the Chino Groundwater Basin (CGB) in 2017 that will evaluate expanding groundwater storage in the CGB. Thus, it will be possible to integrate the CBEWP into this current effort to define expansion of groundwater storage in the CGB. Thus, it is essential that the CBEWP be defined to the extent feasible in the immediate future to ensure it can be integrated into the project description being created to expand groundwater storage in the CGB. It is anticipated that the hydrogeologic evaluation will require approximately one year to complete.


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Once the hydrogeologic evaluation is completed, it will be possible to initiate the evaluation for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). At this time, it is anticipated that a Notice of Preparation (NOP) would be distributed for the CGB expanded groundwater storage project (including CBEWP) in January 2019. It’s assumed AB 52 consultation will be initiated concurrent with the issuance of the NOP. Based on IEUA’s current tribal consultation process, we are confident that this effort can be completed within 30 days. Compilation of the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will require about 18 months. This is considered sufficient time because the hydrogeologic evaluation will already be completed.

Thus, in early-to-mid 2020 the Notice of Availability for public review of the Draft EIR could be distributed, along with the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program. Following the 45-day mandatory public review period for the Draft EIR, a Final EIR could be compiled. It would be anticipated that the Final EIR could be certified by the IEUA Board in mid-to-late 2020 and the Notice of Determination filed immediately thereafter. Specific CBEWP facilities could begin to be installed in mid-to-late 2021, following completion of design and bidding.

As described previously, the CBEWP “borrowing capacity” provision to provide up to 100,000 acre-feet of early environmental benefits ahead of production of the new 15,000 acre-feet per year local water supply could be operational upon completing the environmental requirements of the project, or mid-to-late 2020, and prior to the completion of the project infrastructure. This unique feature is not available under most other proposed projects for which project operations may not occur for 10 years or more.

Potential Impacts and Mitigation Measures The types of impacts can be divided into two categories: short-term construction related impacts and long-term operational impacts. Based on previous experience with similar facilities, IEUA only expects short-term impacts to consist of SCAQMD daily regional thresholds that may be exceeded due to the large amount of construction envisioned by IEUA within the Chino Basin over the next 10-15 years. All other short-term impacts can typically be mitigated. IEUA is prepared to develop a Statement Of Overriding Considerations for the regional air quality issues that may occur during construction.

For long-term considerations, the primary issues of concern from additional groundwater storage in the CGB are related to geotechnical issues (local high groundwater table and related potential for liquefaction during future seismic events and land subsidence). However, these issues can be managed by monitoring and implementing adaptive management strategies, including strategically locating recharge and extraction wells to minimize these potential impacts. IEUA currently uses mitigation measures to address these potential impacts to reduce the adverse impacts to less than significant impact levels.

List of Permits Needed IEUA has compiled a list of potential permits needed for the CBEWP. This list is shown in Table 2 below and discussed here.

IEUA has much experience working with agencies that have jurisdiction over individual projects constructed in the region. Agencies that may have jurisdiction over the CBEWP, and the associated permits are listed below. Permits may be required for planned pipelines that cross waters of the United States or waters of the State of California. An NPDES permit will be required under the State General Construction Permit. Authorization to store the advanced treated recycled water within the CGB may require a permit from the Chino Basin Watermaster. And there is a remote possibility that consultation


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and acquisition of an incidental take permit may be required from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife and CDFW for unavoidable take of listed species. In most cases this would be processed as a Section 7 permit through USACE, but it is possible that a Section 10 permit could be required through direct consultation with FWS. Lastly, a permit might be required from the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

Table 2: CBEWP Permits Needed Type of Permit Status

Encroachment Permit - city/county Planned for 2019 404 Permit - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Planned for 2019

401 Certification - Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board

Planned for 2019

Streambed Alteration Agreement – California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Planned for 2019

NPDES, State General Construction Permit Planned for 2019 Authorization to store recycled water in CBWB –

Chino Basin Watermaster Planned for 2019

Incidental Take Permit – California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Planned for 2019, if needed.

Section 7 Consultation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service


Permit – South Coast Air Quality Management District


Project Schedule The Water Storage Investment Program (WSIP) program envisioned by the Conjunctive Use Environmental Water Storage/Exchange Program (Chino Basin Environmental Water Program - CBEWP) and related benefits will be considered in a Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) that will be developed and processed over a 20-month period from 2019 through mid-2020. This program includes operational storage of high quality recycled water produced from an Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant (AWTP) at a rate of about 15,000 acre-feet per year and installation of the infrastructure required to store, recover and distribute the recycled water when needed to offset State Water Project water from being transported to southern California water agencies. The State Project Water conserved in northern California would be used for conservation purposes in the Sacramento River Delta.

The schedule for completing the major components of the CBEWP are shown in Figure 3. The schedule addresses: planning and technical analysis, agreements and coordination, environmental and permitting, design and bidding, and construction. The planning and technical analysis is underway as part of a hydrogeologic investigation of the Chino Groundwater Basin, being conducted in support of environmental analysis to be completed for the CBWB storage expansion. CBEWP will be a project integrated into the programmatic environmental effort.

Conducting outreach and agreement development is estimated to occur in 2018. Design and bidding will begin in 2018 and finish early 2019. Environmental compliance would begin in early 2018 and continue through mid-to-late 2019.

The project start-up is estimated to occur in 2025, or a little over 7 years from the date of this application. The project could begin providing water following the completion of the Chino Basin Water Bank Storage Expansion PEIR and in advance of completing the CBEWP infrastructure. This would be accomplished using


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the “borrowing” provisions, providing exchange water for environmental uses beginning in mid-to-late 2020, or a little over three years from the date of this application.

Figure 3: CBWEP Program Schedule

Economic Feasibility For purposes of evaluating the economic feasibility, IEUA has evaluated the public benefits of this project that could be delivered through implementation. Pulse flows of 50,000 acre-feet could be provided in the spring of dry and critical water years for up to three consecutive years represent the public ecosystem benefits. Other benefits of the project include water quality, and emergency response supply. The environmental benefit represents 60.8 percent of the total project benefits. The benefits are listed in the table below.

The costs associated with the project include the capital costs for the infrastructure to convey, treat, recharge/store and extract water in conjunction with the proposed CBEWP. The costs are also listed in the table below.


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Project Benefits and Costs

Public Benefit Category

Present Value by Category

($ million)

Percent of Total Public Benefits

Allocation of Construction Cost

($ million)

Allocation of WSIP Funds ($ million)

Ecosystem Benefits

$356.9 60.8% $207.6 $291.8

Water Quality Benefits

$204.5 34.8% $119.0 $167.3

Emergency Response Benefits

$25.6 4.4% $14.9 $20.9

Total $587.0 100.0% $341.5 $480.0

The WSIP funding requested for the construction of the proposed Chino Basin Environmental Water Program (CBEWP) project is $480.0 million. The present (2015) value total public costs for this construction is $341.5 million. Compared to the present (2015) value total public benefits of $587.0 million, this represents a Public Benefit-to-Cost (B/C) Ratio of 1.72.

When including the non-public cost (e.g., construction financing, operation and maintenance, and equipment replacement costs) of $315.0 million and the non-public benefits (e.g., the avoided SWP conveyance cost and water supply benefits) of $126.3 million, the total present value project cost and benefits amount to $656.5 million and $716.3 million, respectively. This represents a total Project Benefit-to-Cost (B/C) Ratio of 1.09. The detailed cost-benefit analysis spreadsheet is attached as item A.6 of this section. The cost-benefit analysis results are summarized below.

Results of the Cost-Benefit Analysis

Cost/Benefit Component 2015 Present Value Project Cost Components

Public Costs - Santa Ana River Flow Agreement $62,869,413 - AWT Construction Cost $130,290,720 - SWPC Connection Facilities $148,386,653

Total Public Costs $341,546,786 Non-Public Costs $314,980,172

Total Project Cost $656,526,958 Project Benefits

Public Benefits - Ecosystem Benefits $356,854,008 - Water Quality Benefits $204,562,646 - Emergency Response Benefits $25,579,270

Total Public Benefits $586,995,924 Non-Public Benefits $126,321,390 Total Project Benefits $716,317,314 Benefit/Cost Ratios Public Benefits/Cost (B/C) Ratio 1.72 Project Benefits/Cost (B/C) Ratio 1.09


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Financial Feasibility The proposed CBEWP is a conjunctive use project and the programs capital costs and corresponding benefits will be assigned to meet north of Delta instream flow needs. The project will also deliver water quality improvement and emergency response public benefits. The project will provide up to 15,000 acre-feet per year of new local water supply, 100,000 acre-feet of reserved storage capacity in the CBWB, an additional 100,000 acre-feet of borrowing capacity to provide early environmental benefits and additional flexibility in providing blocks of environmental water. The estimated O&M unit costs are approximately $910 per acre-foot. IEUA anticipates providing approximately 75 percent costs to be recovered through local Chino basin water rates and/or connection fees, with the other 25 percent covered by the participating SWPC. The project will evaluate and update a Cost of Service (COS) study to determine the most appropriate means to collect project required revenue, either from water rates and/or connection fees. The last COS study was completed in 2015.

Constructability The proposed project includes technologies and facilities that are used throughout the water industry. Aside from the treatment processes, the Chino Basin is currently a significant contributor of groundwater storage & supply for the region. This project will expand on existing facilities by constructing standard AWT facilities, pipelines, pump stations, production/injection wells, interconnections, and other industry-standard facilities.

IEUA will solicit and retain qualified professional engineering consultants to prepare the necessary studies and designs, and oversee construction activities. Designs are prepared in accordance with local, state and federal codes and are prepared to be constructed and operated for the life of the project. Recognizing the challenges associated with construction, one of IEUA’s goals is to provide a comprehensive constructability review. At various phases of the project, typically at 10%, 30%, 50%, 85% and 100%, the design is reviewed for constructability to ensure it meets the operation and maintenance requirements. The design review may utilize the expertise of both IEUA’s Engineering & Construction, Planning, and Operations & Maintenance departments, as well as external resources, such as Professional Engineering Consulting Services. This approach allows IEUA to tap into the vast wealth of knowledge and experience available from the owner/operator as well as the construction industry. Following are some areas of constructability review:

• Construction sequencing & phasing • Building and equipment layout and clearances • Environmental considerations • Utilities identification (water, power, communication, etc.) • Comprehensive coordination with appropriate stakeholders • Operational considerations (specifications, redundancy, etc.) • Maintenance considerations (accessibility, parts availability, local support, etc.) • Land considerations (acquisitions, right-of-ways, easements, access, etc.) • Equipment and vendor consideration (long-lead, specialty, testing, installation, etc.) • Emergency equipment (back-up generator, lighting, communication, etc.) • Agreements (inter-agency) • Permitting


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A design/constructability review is intended to improve project quality, minimize potential change orders during construction, and provide a buildable and biddable construction bid package. The project will utilize industry-proven technologies, with available construction materials, a work force that meets prevailing wage requirements, and equipment that meets applicable safety requirements.

Project Objectives - California Feasibility Documentation.pdfAttach feasibility studies or documentation that demonstrates the proposed project’s technical, environmental, economic,

Documents