Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Supply And Reuse topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Santa Rosa BPU hears water supply update: Lake Pillsbury below recent norms; Mendocino and Sonoma show ample storage
Summary
Deputy Directors Peter Martin and Mike Prins updated the board on surface reservoir storage, planned releases and recycled-water operations, including maintenance during a two-week Geysers shutdown that revealed debris and pump corrosion requiring spot repairs.
Deputy Director Peter Martin reported to the Board of Public Utilities that Lake Pillsbury storage was about 34,200 acre-feet and lower than recent historical levels for this time of year. Martin said PG&E had requested a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) variance for flows and releases into the East Fork of the Russian River; FERC issued its decision the previous Monday and Martin said he expected that decision to moderate the trend line but noted downstream flow and sediment concerns when Pillsbury storage falls below about 15,000 acre-feet.
Martin reported Lake Mendocino storage at about 88,000 acre-feet and Lake Sonoma at about 244,000 acre-feet, with ample supply headed into the drier months. He explained that the Army Corps of Engineers controls releases when reservoirs are above flood-control pool levels and that control had recently returned for routine operations to Sonoma Water. Martin highlighted regional outreach activities through the Water Smart Partnership and noted events, rebate programs and a joint groundwater workshop, “Beneath the Surface: 10 years of local groundwater basin stewardship,” scheduled for Aug. 21 (registration available through santarosaplaingroundwater.org).
Deputy Director Mike Prins presented a recycled-water update. He said the Geysers system undergoes an annual two-week shutdown for maintenance; during this year’s shutdown staff dewatered wet wells and removed debris from pump intake screens at the East Station wet well and conducted spot corrosion repairs on pumps at the Bear Canyon pump station. Prins described finding substantial debris (visqueen, sample bottles and other items) that likely impeded pump efficiency and said staff would inspect on a semi-regular basis moving forward.
Prins reviewed production trends and storage charts: average daily flows converged around 15 million gallons per day during high months, and city staff estimated annual recycled-water production for the water year to be in the neighborhood of 7.4 billion gallons. Board members had no questions; staff made themselves available for follow-up. There was no public comment on the briefing.
