TO:Andrew P. Powers, City Manager
FROM:Clifford G. Finley, Public Works Director
DATE:March 14, 2023
SUBJECT: Thousand Oaks Groundwater Utilization Project (CI 5395) RECOMMENDATION:
1. Approve Professional Services Agreement with Kennedy/Jenks Consultants, Inc. of Oxnard, CA in an amount not-to-exceed $164,759 for performing engineering analysis and preparation of the preliminary design for a conveyance system to carry groundwater from Los Robles Golf Course Well and the Hill Canyon Treatment Plant to the planned Las Virgenes Municipal Water District Advanced Water Purification Facility.
2. Authorize expenditure in the amount of $181,259 ($164,759 Kennedy/Jenks agreement, plus extra services of $16,500) from A/C #613-8060-682-8300 (CI 5395, Thousand Oaks Groundwater Utilization Project).
3. Approve Single Source designation for Kennedy/Jenks Consultants, Inc. to enter into an agreement for Professional Services in connection with the Thousand Oaks Groundwater Utilization Project (CI 5395).
4. Find that this action is not a project as defined under the California Environmental Quality Act.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
No Additional Funding Requested. $12,300,000 is included in the Adopted FY 2022-23 Water Capital Fund Budget. Total estimated project cost is $10,632,000.
BACKGROUND:
Thousand Oaks is nearly 100 percent dependent on treated imported water purchased from Calleguas Municipal Water District (CMWD). Imported water comes primarily from the State Water Project (SWP). The reliability of imported water is threatened due to environmental regulations in the Delta and increased hydrologic variability with more frequent and intense drought conditions. Due to
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8 these issues and rising imported water costs, the City is seeking opportunities to reduce dependence on imported water supplies and improve local water supply reliability.
The goal of the Thousand Oaks Groundwater Utilization Project is to develop a local water source by pumping and treating water from a City-owned well at the Los Robles Greens Golf Course (LRGC). Water from this well was used solely to irrigate the golf course until 2013, at which time pumping was ceased due to decreasing groundwater quality. Several studies were conducted to evaluate the feasibility of the project, including an Extended Pumping Test conducted from August 2020 to March 2021 to further assess the sustainable yield of the well.
According to the Extended Pumping Report prepared by Kennedy/Jenks Consultants, Inc. (KJ) in November 2021, the sustainable yield of the LRGC well is estimated to be 400–700-acre feet per year. As such, investing in construction of a full-scale treatment plant/desalter at LRGC is not economically feasible.
However, the City still wants to use this source of water to reduce its current dependency on imported water, if feasible.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
The City’s neighboring water district, the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District (LVMWD), needs water augmentation for its planned Pure Water Project (PWP) to facilitate year-round operation. The PWP will process surplus recycled water, which is currently discharged to Malibu Creek from the Tapia Water Reclamation Facility, through an advanced water purification facility (AWPF), and store it at LVMWD Reservoir for later use as drinking water.
The City is contemplating incorporating its groundwater from LRGC into the PWP, which will yield the same goal of water re-use, but with a more economical alternative. Instead of constructing a standalone desalter at LRGC, the City is exploring the option of conveying the water from the LRGC well to the proposed LVMWD’s PWP Facility, which will be located at 30800 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills CA, about 6.5 miles southeast of LRGC (Attachment #1). The City is also evaluating the possibility of diverting a portion of the effluent from the Hill Canyon Treatment Plant (HCTP) to LVMWD’s PWP. Upon delivery of the City’s non- potable water to LVMWD for treatment, the City will then receive the equivalent of the delivered water (minus the brine volume) in potable water through Calleguas’ system via the Calleguas/Las Virgenes Interconnect currently under construction on Lindero Canyon Road.
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8 To determine the operational and financial feasibility to convey groundwater from the LRGC well and recycled water from HCTP to LVMWD’s PWP Facility, engineering and preliminary design of a system of booster stations and transmission pipelines and a cost/benefit analyses are needed.
A detailed scope of work and consulting fees have been negotiated and finalized with KJ for providing the professional services for the project. KJ is uniquely qualified to provide the required services for the project. Over the past few years, KJ has been the primary consultant providing engineering services in connection with the Groundwater Utilization Project (CI 5395) and will therefore be able to seamlessly provide the engineering services relating to the groundwater conveyance system. KJ prepared the previous preliminary design reports and engineering analysis related to the feasibility of groundwater utilization at the LRGC, including the extended pumping tests, brine disposal alternatives, conveyance pipeline alignment, and capacity determination. Staff recommends approving the Single Source designation and Professional Services Agreement with KJ in the amount of $164,759 (Attachment #2).
To fully implement the City’s option of conveying the groundwater to the proposed LVMWD’s PWP Facility, the estimated costs are summarized as follows:
Preliminary evaluation and design (this action) $ 164,759 Extra Services (this action) $ 16,500
Design Phase (future action) $ 950,000
Construction phase (future action) $ 9,500,000
$10,631,259
The tentative project schedule is as follows:
Completion of preliminary work December 2023
Start of Design Phase (pending LVMWD’s progress) Summer 2024 Start of Construction Phase Fall 2025
Community Outreach: The City has been utilizing its website to inform and educate the public about the beneficial uses of groundwater with local supplies to offset imported water.
This action is not a project as defined under the California Environmental Quality Act because this action will not result in a direct or foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment [14 CCR 15060(c)].
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8 This project meets City Council’s Top Ten Priorities #9, “Public Works Infrastructure Investments.”
CIP PROJECT PRIORITY (as outlined in FY 2021-22 and FY 2022-23 CIP Program Budget).
Priority One – Addresses Health and Safety, legal and regulatory requirements.
COUNCIL GOAL COMPLIANCE:
Meets the following City Council goals:
C. Operate City government in a fiscally and managerially responsible and prudent manner to ensure that the City of Thousand Oaks remains one of California's most desirable places to live, work, visit, recreate, and raise a family.
F. Provide and enhance essential infrastructure to ensure that the goals and policies of the Thousand Oaks General Plan are carried out and the City retains its role and reputation as a leader in protecting the environment and preserving limited natural resources.
PREPARED BY: Ayda Forouzan, Sr. Engineer
Attachments:
Attachment #1 – Vicinity and Location Maps
Attachment #2 – Professional Services Agreement with KJ DPW: 850-20\nh\etm\Council\2023\03142023\CI 5395\Groundwater Utilization Project staff report.docx