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CITY OF FRESNO
CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
THE PROJECT DESCRIBED HEREIN IS DETERMINED TO BE CATEGORICALLY
EXEMPT FROM THE PREPARATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS
PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 19 OF THE STATE CEQA GUIDELINES.
CONTACT: Debbie Khounsavath, Planner II
City of Fresno – Department of Public Utilities
1626 E Street
Fresno, CA 93706
Phone: 559-621-1624
Email: [email protected]
PROJECT TITLE: Wellhead Treatment Improvements at Pump Station 345-1
PROJECT LOCATIONS: 185 S BURGAN AVE, Fresno, CA,
36° 44' 2.688" N, 119° 40' 40.386" W.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Installation of a wellhead treatment system to remove naturally occurring contaminants from an existing
municipal potable water supply well and bring the well
system back online. The wellhead treatment system will
include two static mixers with associated sodium
hypochlorite and sodium permanganate storage and
injection processes to remove hydrogen sulfide and
balance chlorine levels, and a six -vessel manganese
dioxide filtration system to remove elevated levels of
manganese. Prior to installation, a concrete pad will be installed to support the trea tment system components.
Additionally, electrical improvements for equipment and instrumentation power will be installed
. The treatment
system will also be equipped with instrumentation to
provide an automated system that can be controlled and
monitored both locally and from the City's existing
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)
system. Process and service piping will be installed to convey spent backwash water resulting fr om system
operations and connected to an existing City sewer line located in Burgan Avenue.
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The Project is exempt under Section 15301/Class 1 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines.
Under Section 15301/Class 1, projects are exempt from CEQA requirements when they consist of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. This exemption includes work on existing facilities of both investor and publicly owned utilities used to provide electric power, natural gas, sewerage, or other public utility services.
The Project described herein represents the minor alteration of the already existing Pump Station 345- 1 (PS 345 -1). PS 345 -1 has been inactive since 2020 due to exceeding standard limits for manganese. The Project consists of the following work:
1. Installation of a manganese filtration package which includes two static mixers with associated sodium hypochlorite and sodium permanganate storage and injection processes to remove hydrogen sulfide and balance chlorine levels, and a six -vessel manganese dioxide filtration system to remove elevated levels of manganese.
2. Replacing above-ground well discharge pipe and fittings.
3. Installation of miscellaneous yard pipes and fittings to convey spent backwash water resulting from system operations and connected to an existing City sewer line located in Burgan Avenue.
4. Installation of additional analyzers and instruments for an automated system that can be controlled and monitored by the City’s SCADA system.
5. Installation of concrete pad to support the treatment system components:
a) Length: 8 ft x 20 ft x 12 in
b) Depth: 1 ft
Construction of a wellhead treatment system will occur within the existing publicly-owned drinking water well site.
The Project will not expand the use of the existing facility, nor will it relocate any existing facilities or structures. As noted above, PS 345-1 has not been in use since 2020 due to manganese contamination. The Project is merely to add a water filtration package and install additional piping and appurtenances, which involves negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. Once the wellhead treatment system is complete, the City will be able to use the well as originally intended.
None of the exceptions to Categorical Exemptions set forth in the CEQA Guidelines, Section 15300.2, apply:
(a) Location The Project is not located in a sensitive environment or an environmental resource of hazardous or critical
concern as designated by federal, state, or local
agencies. The work is entirely located in an existing
well site.
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(b) Cumulative Impact The Project will not have a cumulative negative impact over time that is significant. The Project
merely entails adding to existing facilities.
(c) Significant Effect The Project will not have a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances. All work
will be limited to the existing well site.
(d) Scenic Highways The Project will not result in damage to scenic resources, including but not limited to, trees, historic buildings, rock outcroppings, or similar resources,
within a highway officially designated as a state
scenic highway. The Project is not located near
scenic highways.
(e) Hazardous Waste Sites The Project is not located on a hazardous waste site which is included on any list compiled pursuant to
Section 65962.5 of the Government Code.
(f) Historical Resources The Project will not cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource.
The well site where the filter package and concrete
pad being added is not considered historical
resources.
Furthermore, the proposed project is not expected to have a significant effect on the environment. Accordingly, a categorical exemption, as noted above, has been prepared for the project.
Date: March 20, 2025
Prepared by: Debbie Khounsavath, Planner II