Ukiah Valley water agencies review draft SAFER application proposing major trunk line, recycled-water expansion

Chair Gasca called a special meeting July 24 of the Ukiah Valley Water Authority Water Executive Committee to review a draft application to the state’s SAFER program that would redesign the valley’s water system around a single north–south master trunk line and fund planning and construction to improve reliability.

The draft application, presented by staff (identified in the transcript as Sean, staff member) describes a trunk pipeline running along the railroad easement that would interconnect the valley’s production and storage facilities. “There’s kind of two main components here … a blue line sort of running north–south, along the rail easement, and that is one master trunk line,” Sean said. The plan also proposes expanded recycled-water and untreated raw-water distribution to serve agricultural connections in the Willow/Robinson Creek area, reducing use of potable water for irrigation.

The application is informational at this stage; staff asked committee members to review the pages circulated for the special meeting and provide feedback before the authority’s next regular meeting so the application can be finalized. Sean said the full application runs roughly 1,200 pages and that the committee should focus on the core design narrative and figures in the shorter packet provided.

Why it matters: SAFER grants target low-income and disadvantaged communities and fund reliability and consolidation efforts. Committee members and ratepayers pressed staff for clarity about costs, who applies for and manages the funding, and whether local boards or properties could be annexed as part of meeting state consolidation requirements.

What the draft proposes and the budget figures discussed

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