1 STAFF REPORT
DATE
: October 15, 2024
TO: J
ustin Hess, City Manager
FR
OM: Mandip Samra, General Manager, Burbank Water and Power VIA: Richard Wilson, Assistant General Manager, Water Systems BY: Asif Sheikh, Manager Water Engineering and Planning SUBJ
ECT: Approval of the First Amendment to the Cyclic Storage Agreement Between the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the City of Burbank.
RECO
MMENDATION
Approve the General Manager of Burbank Water and Power (BWP) to execute the First Amendment to the Cyclic Storage agreement with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) and subsequent amendments to this agreement for storage of imported water in the San Fernando groundwater basin (Attachment 1). This water will be stored in the basin for future use and extraction by BWP.
BACKGROUND
The City of B urbank does not h ave naturally occurring water rights, and consequently, BWP m ust import from MW D all the wa ter we treat an d deliver t o our c ustomers.
Untreated water from the State Water Project is delivered to MWD’s system, then to BWP at the Pacoima Spreading Grounds , where the water p ercolates into the San Fernando groundwater b asin. The Pacoima facilities ar e owned and operated by Los A ngeles County. T his w ater i s st ored in the ground and is ava ilable for treatment at BWP’s treatment plant (i.e., the Burbank Operable Unit) and then pumped into the potable water distribution system for customer delivery.
On August 22, 2017, the Burbank City Council (Council) unanimously authorized the General Manager of BWP to execute an agreement with MWD for the storage of imported water in the San Fernando groundwater basin (Attachments 2 and 3) through its Cyclic Storage Program. The program's purpose is to encourage member agencies to take water when it is plentiful and store it in the ground for future use. Realizing that member agencies may not have budgeted for this extra water due to the uncertainty of its availability, MWD allows member agencies to get the surplus water into the ground and pay for it later. Otherwise, it would be lost to the Pacific Ocean if not captured and stored.
Since BWP needs to pump imported water annually, this program provides operational flexibility for dry and wet years and meets our goals of sustainability and reliability.
WATER AND
POWER
2 Under this ten-year agreement, MWD may "deliver imported water in advance of demand" to the member agency for storage in a groundwater basin. The m ember agency is charged the MWD rate for untreated water that is in effect when the water is withdrawn.
DISCUSSION
Since joining the Cyclic Storage Program in 2017, BWP has banked nearly 15,000 acre- feet of import water and stored it in the San Fernando groundwater basin. This program allows BWP to take advantage of excess import water when available . MWD and BWP wish to amend the original agreement for the following reasons:
• Purchase of water from the Cyclic Storage Account shall occur according to a mutually agreed schedule, as opposed to “by the end of the agreement.” • Amend the agreement termination date to be “10 years after the effective date of the First Amendment.”
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This activity has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical negative change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical negative change in the environment, and as such, is not a “project” subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 14 Cal. Code Regs § 15378. The activity is also covered by the “common sense” exemption the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 14 Cal. Code Regs § 15061(b)(3) since the transaction involves delivering of imported water in advance of demand during periods of surplus water that would otherwise be lost to the Pacific Ocean if not stored.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to BWP's current budget by the execution of this agreement.
With respect to future budgets, “ cyclic water” would be paid from the amount budgeted annually for water purchases.
CONCLUSION
Staff requests that the Council authorize the General Manager of BWP to execute the First A mendment to the Cyclic Storage agreement with MWD and subsequent amendments to this agreement for storage of imported water in the San Fernando groundwater basin.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – First Amendment to the Cyclic Agreement
Attachment 2 – Cyclic Storage Agreement
Attachment 3 – City Council Minutes, August 22, 2017