Santa Rosa staff report strong reservoir storage, recycled-water discharges and outreach push; PG&E Potter Valley proposal opens 30-day comment period

Santa Rosa Water staff reported that regional water supplies and recycled-water storage are well above average for this time of year, announced a planned discharge of recycled water using existing credits, and described outreach and grant-funded programs to conserve water.

Peter Martin, deputy director of water resources, told the Board of Public Utilities that Sonoma Water is operating under a temporary change order tying minimum end-stream flows to storage in Lake Mendocino rather than cumulative inflow into the Eel River. Martin said Lake Pillsbury held about 64,500 acre-feet as of the presentation, well above target, and Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma storage were “well above the forecast” with Lake Sonoma near 284,500 acre-feet. He said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had managed releases for flood control and that releases from reservoirs could occur in the coming days to draw levels back to flood-control pools.

Staff described multiple outreach and conservation efforts: a regional “dye tab” leak-detection challenge running through March that offers free dye tabs and a $25 gift-card prize and extensive bill inserts and social media outreach through the regional Save Water partnership. Martin also summarized a direct-install program for ultra-high-efficiency toilets funded in the 2022–23 budget with a $1.5 million allocation; staff said the phase-1 program is almost complete with roughly $170,000 remaining and about 1,800 toilet packages to be installed. Phase 2 work funded through the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART program will target low-income residents and a wait list from phase 1.

Andrew Romero, wastewater reclamation superintendent, presented recycled-water production and storage data. Romero said recent storms raised recycled-water storage by roughly 300 million gallons above average for the time of year, and staff planned to discharge about 300 million gallons in addition to the December discharge of roughly 300 million gallons. Romero said staff expect to use just under 2,000 credits for the 2024–25 water year and expect approximately 15,000 credits to remain after the current planned discharge.

Martin and Romero answered board questions about pumping limits to treated-water delivery sites (the Geysers) and operating constraints; staff said pumping to geothermal customers is at maximum capacity, so excess plant flows must go to storage or discharge.

Martin also reported that PG&E released a draft license surrender and decommissioning application for the Potter Valley project and a related decommissioning plan that includes removal of two dams on the Eel River. The draft filing, which PG&E released for public comment (a 30-day comment period), also incorporates a 30% design of a proposed new Eel-to-Russian River diversion facility advanced by the Eel Russian Project Authority (ERPA) — described in PG&E’s materials as the NERF (New Eel-Russian Facility). Martin said the Bureau of Reclamation has provided approximately $2 million to bring the proposed diversion design to 60% and that PG&E’s schedule anticipates submitting a final application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on July 29. He urged interested parties to watch the public-comment process.

Board members asked procedural questions about the FERC process; staff said the FERC filing would formally begin the federal review and that consultation with resource agencies and tribes would continue following the public comment period.

The board took no formal action on PG&E’s filing at the meeting. Staff said they would monitor the FERC schedule and coordinate technical comments with Sonoma Water and regional partners as needed.