City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: October 24, 2023
Agenda Item: 5.D
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Rick Valte, Public Works Director, Public Works, Water Resources Subject: Adoption of Resolution Authorizing the Application for Grant Funds from the The U.S. Department of Interior - Bureau of Reclamation FY 2024 WaterSMART Drought Response Program for the Santa Monica Groundwater Well SM-4 Replacement Project
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of categorical exemption pursuant to Section 15302 (Class 2 – Replacement/Reconstruction) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines.
2. Adopt the attached resolution authorizing the application for grant funds in the amount of up to $2,375,000 from the U.S. Department of Interior - Bureau of Reclamation for the SM-4 Groundwater Well Replacement Project in the Public Works Department.
3. Authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary documents to apply for the grant, accept the grant, if awarded, and accept all grant renewals, if awarded. 2 of 4
Summary
The City of Santa Monica’s Olympic Well Field is the city’s second largest source of groundwater after the Charnock Well Field. One of the groundwater production wells in the well field, Santa Monica Well No. 4 (SM-4), is over 40 years old and needs to be replaced as it has lost over 70% of its production capacity. Replacing groundwater production well SM-4 would restore pumping capacity at the Olympic Well Field and maintain groundwater remediation activities at the well field. The well replacement of SM-4 is eligible for grant funding from the U.S. Department of the Interior - Bureau of Reclamation. Staff is requesting authorization to apply for grant funding to help offset 50% of the well replacement cost.
Discussion
The U.S. Department of the Interior - Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Drought Response Program provides grant funding for projects that build resiliency to drought by increasing the reliability of water supplies, improving water management, and/or providing benefits for fish and wildlife and the environment. The replacement of groundwater production well SM-4 at the Olympic Well Field meets the objectives under Task B of the grant opportunity - Increasing the Reliability of Water Supplies Through Groundwater Recovery. Restoring the production capacity at the Olympic Well Field would enhance local water supply reliability. Pumping contaminated groundwater for advanced treatment at the Arcadia Water Treatment Plant, will aid the remediation of the contamination plume at the Olympic Well Field. The project would include drilling and constructing a replacement groundwater well and equipping the well with a new pump, chemical feed system, and metering equipment after the well is constructed.
Production of local groundwater has historically been 30% cheaper than purchasing imported water supplies for potable use in the city. Replacing the aging groundwater production well would assist the city in enhancing its drought resiliency by maximizing groundwater production within sustainable yield limits. In doing so, this reduces the city’s reliance on imported water supplies, where its availability and reliability has been impacted during prolonged droughts. The replacement well would be located in the 3 of 4
Olympic Well Field, approximately 50 feet east of SM-4 near the intersection of Olympic Boulevard and Stewart Street.
The estimated cost of the project is $4,750,000. The grant requires a 50 percent local match, which would come from an existing CIP for design and construction oversight of the replacement well and a future CIP as part of the FY2024-2026 biennial budget.
Construction is anticipated to begin in April 2025 and end in September 2026. The term of the grant is from October 31, 2024, through October 31, 2026. On-going operation costs would be paid for out of the operating budget for the Water Fund. There would be no further operational costs associated with SM-4 as it will be destroyed after the replacement well is placed in operation.
Environmental Review
The project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15302 (Class 2 – Replacement/Reconstruction) of the CEQA Guidelines.
Section 15302 exempts Class 2 projects which “consists of replacement or reconstruction of existing structures and facilities where the new structure will be located on the same site as the structure replaced and will have substantially the same purpose and capacity as the structure replaced”. The replacement well would be designed to the original design capacity of SM-4 in the same general location and would not represent an increase in the City’s groundwater production capacity. Therefore, the replacement well is categorically exempt from CEQA.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
There is no immediate financial impact or budget action necessary as a result of the recommended action. The grant is reimbursement-based and requires a 50% match by the City. Staff would return to Council with budget changes if the grant is awarded. 4 of 4
Prepared By: Sunny Wang, Water Resources Manager
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Resolution
B. PowerPoint Presentation
C. Resolution (Clean Version)
D. Resolution (redline)