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Groundwater Authority details Rademacher and Stark Street consolidation plans under $3.3M drought‑relief grant
Summary
Staff reported completion of Rademacher phase 1 and outlined phase 2 and a proposed Stark Street consolidation under the $3.3 million urban community drought‑relief grant; easements, LAFCO processes and grant deadlines pose timing and funding constraints.
The Groundwater Authority updated the board on projects funded by a $3.3 million urban community drought relief grant aimed at consolidating small water systems into the larger district.
Jeff Helsley reviewed progress on the Rademacher consolidation: phase 1 — a short pipeline extension — is complete and connected several customers; phase 2 would add a longer loop and serve remaining users but requires three easements and carries an estimated cost of about $1.1 million. "Phase 2 is ready to go; plans are approved. We would like help getting those easements," said Renee Morquette, chief engineer with the water district.
The board also discussed Stark Street, a system affected by depressed groundwater levels that previously applied to the authority's shallow‑well mitigation program. Staff presented an alternate connection option — a roughly $600,000 extension tying into an existing water‑district line near Calvert Boulevard — which could be faster than drilling and LAFCO annexation. Combined, Rademacher phase 2 and Stark Street would use approximately $1.8 million of the $3.3 million grant, leaving roughly $1.1 million available for other consolidations or needs.
Key constraints identified were easements, LAFCO boundary processes and the grant timeline. Staff said DWR prefers deliverables that provide immediate physical benefits and that the grant program manager indicated extensions are unlikely unless a concrete schedule of work can be provided; staff reported they have discussed possible short extensions but were not guaranteed additional time. "They would maybe consider that, but it will be very unlikely that they would grant the extension," staff said, noting DWR would be more receptive to a firm timeline.
Board members and public speakers raised concerns about whether consolidations could shift pumping demands (centralizing customers onto larger district wells) and whether property owners required guarantee of free connections; staff said the water district policy does not require destruction of existing private wells but does require backflow prevention and that participation could affect eligibility for future shallow‑well mitigation funds.
Next steps: staff will pursue easements outreach, coordinate with the water district on LAFCO out‑of‑area service letters as a short‑term measure, and seek to prioritize projects the grant will cover before the program funding window closes.
