Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Cap Project topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
CAP project: design 100% for AWPS, permitting still needs city CDP signature; federal amendment secured, state grant reduced
Summary
Staff reported 100% AWPS design submitted and injection monitoring wells ready for bidding; coastal development permit requires a city council signature in April; federal funding amendment added $8.7M but a recent state rollback reduced recycling grant support to ~$5M, possibly requiring board decisions on construction timing.
Project leads presented a monthly update on the Coastal Aquifer Project (CAP) that covered design milestones, permitting status, outreach, easements and funding.
Design and construction readiness: Engineers have submitted 100% design drawings and specifications for the advanced water purification system (AWPS) and have 75% design for the conveyance pipeline; injection monitoring wells are effectively 100% complete and ready to go to bid. Focused constructability meetings are planned to tighten controls and integration with sanitary district facilities.
Permitting: The team has met with city planning staff and received another incompleteness letter; the only remaining discretionary action noted was for the city council to sign the coastal development permit (CDP) application — staff said the city council action is expected in April. District staff are working with state reviewers to try to eliminate a proposed monitoring well in Memorial Park, which would simplify the CDP.
Outreach and easements: A district survey launched in early March has yielded over 200 responses (goal 400); staff plan to present survey results at the April 23 board meeting. Easement work progressed with a signed agreement from a local Catholic church now pending district signature.
Funding: The project team reported two funding developments. Congress/appropriations activity that named the project in a continuing resolution unlocked access to an $8.7 million federal amendment previously awarded. Separately, the state recycling grant previously anticipated at higher levels has been reduced (a $3 million reduction was described), leaving $5 million currently expected from that state program. Staff noted Proposition 4 as a potential state funding source to track but warned the board it may need to consider construction timing if additional state grant money is not secured.
Next steps: staff plan to present survey results, full supply‑alternatives analysis and the CAP economic analysis in April; bidding for AWPS construction is targeted for May with pipeline and well bids to follow in early summer. The board did not take a construction authorization at this meeting.
Quotes from the presentation and board discussion are attributable to staff and the CAP project lead; the board asked staff to continue grant pursuit and outreach.
