ITEM:		CONSENT CALENDAR
4.	Receive PHASE 1 AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY PROJECT Water Year 2010 Summary Report (WATER PROJECT 1)
Meeting Date:			July 18, 2011	Budgeted:	N/A
From:			Darby Fuerst,	Program/	N/A
			General Manager	Line Item No.:
Prepared By:			Joe Oliver	Cost Estimate:	N/A
General Counsel Review: N/A
Committee Recommendation: N/A
CEQA Compliance: N/A

SUMMARY: A draft report documenting the summary of operations for Water Year 2010 at the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District (MPWMD or District) Phase 1 Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) site (formerly known as the Santa Margarita ASR test well facility) has been prepared by the District’s technical consultant on the project, Pueblo Water Resources, Inc. The draft report is being provided to the Board under separate cover, and can be viewed on the MPWMD home webpage under “Water Supply Projects”. The report documents the ASR activities conducted at the Phase 1 ASR site during WY 2010, including: (a) summary of project status and injection well performance, (b) seasonal recharge operations, and (c) water-quality monitoring. During WY 2010 injection operations, a total of 1,111 acre-feet of Carmel River Basin source water was injected and stored in the Seaside Basin at the Phase 1 ASR site during the winter high-flow season for subsequent recovery during the low-flow dry season. The completion of this annual report is a requirement of the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) as part of their ongoing oversight of the project.

RECOMMENDATION: The Board should receive the draft report documenting ASR activities at the Phase 1 ASR site during WY 2010. If this item is adopted along with the Consent Calendar, the report will be finalized and distributed, subject to inclusion of comments from the District or other interested parties.

BACKGROUND: The District has been pursuing Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) in the Seaside Basin since 1996. The project concept entails diverting excess winter flows from the Carmel River Basin approximately six miles through existing California American Water (Cal-Am) distribution system pipelines to the hydrologically-separate Seaside Basin, where the water is injected into specially-constructed ASR wells, for later recovery during dry periods. Prior to injection, the diverted water is treated at Cal-Am’s Begonia Iron Removal Plant in Carmel Valley so that it meets potable drinking water standards. In 1998, the District constructed a pilot injection well, known as the Paso Robles Test Injection Well (PRTIW) in the northeastern portion of the City of Seaside. The 460-feet deep pilot well was screened in the Paso Robles Formation aquifer. Subsequent injection testing at the pilot well provided data that allowed the District to proceed with construction of a larger injection test well, SMTIW No. 1 (now referred to as ASR Well No. 1) in 2001 on the former Fort Ord Military Reservation, approximately 300 feet east of the PRTIW. ASR Well No. 1 is an 18 inch-diameter, 720 feet deep stainless steel well screened in the Santa Margarita Sandstone aquifer. The Santa Margarita aquifer has more favorable hydrogeologic characteristics, and is therefore more conducive to a full-scale ASR project in the basin. SMTIW No. 2 (now referred to as ASR Well No. 2) was drilled in 2007 and equipped with permanent pump and motor in 2008. ASR Well No. 2 is larger and deeper, at 22 inches in diameter and 790 feet deep. The draft report has been sent to California American Water staff for their review and comment. The report, once finalized, will be provided to the resource agencies that are overseeing authorization of the ASR activities, including the RWQCB. The report will also be a useful reference document to support future operations and testing at the Phase 1 ASR Project site.

IMPACT ON STAFF/RESOURCES: A significant staff effort has been expended planning, coordinating, and overseeing work on the District’s ASR program in the Seaside Basin. It is planned to expand this level of effort during the remainder of this year and into the next recharge season.

EXHIBITS

None

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