COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Department of Public Works

DATE:

August 16, 2004

BOARD MEETING DATE:

August 31, 2004

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Neil R. Cullen, Director of Public Works

SUBJECT:

Use of Water from the Wells on County Owned Property near Bean Hollow Road for the Maintenance of the Water System that Serves County Service Area No. 11, and for Road Maintenance Purposes - Pescadero Area

Recommendation

Adopt a resolution authorizing the Director of Public Works to use water that is delivered to the water system that serves County Service Area No. 11 (CSA 11) to:

1)

maintain the water distribution system of CSA11; and

2)

use up to 210,000 gallons per year (an equivalent of two residential water connections) for road maintenance purposes, including using the water for potable water purposes at the Pescadero Maintenance Yard.

Previous Board Action

Formed CSA 11 to provide potable water to the rural service center of Pescadero.

Key Facts

1.

CSA11’s source of water are the wells on County-owned property adjacent to Bean Hollow Road.

2.

The Coastal Develop Permit (CDP) for CSA 11 specifies that water from the distribution system may be used only for “household uses, limited landscape irrigation, commercial offices/restaurants, etc. and fire protection.”

3.

A resident in the Pescadero watershed expressed his concerns to Supervisor Gordon that Public Works was using water in violation of CSA11’s CDP.

4.

We agreed not to use the water from the wells on the County property for purposes not specified in CSA11’s CDP, unless approved by your Board.

5.

The maintenance of the water system requires the use of water, and water system maintenance was not specifically enumerated in CSA11’s CDP.

6.

We have a need to use a limited amount of water for road maintenance purposes, including as a backup potable water source for the Pescadero Maintenance Yard.

Discussion

We discussed the use of water from the wells on County-owned property on Bean Hollow Road with County Counsel, as Supervisor Gordon received a letter from a constituent expressing his concerns that the Department was using water from CSA 11 for purposes not allowed by CSA 11’s CDP. It is not clear whether the CDP prevents the use of water from the County property which is the source of CSA11’s water, but we agreed to bring any requests for use not specified in the CDP to your Board to confirm your concurrence.

We are requesting that you approve the following two additional uses of the water as described in the Recommendation section of this report for the following reasons:

1)

Water to maintain the distribution system - Water periodically has to be discharged from the water system as required by Environmental Health to clear the lines of sediment or to flush out “ dead-end” lines to insure the quality of the water. We can coordinate this use with capturing the water for road maintenance purposes by discharging the water into the Road Division’s water truck if the timing of the two operations is compatible. However, there may be times when the water will be discharged and allowed to flow into nearby ditches or creeks.

2)

Water for road maintenance purposes – Maintaining the County roads requires water for some of our operations such as compacting backfill in a trench, pavement repair involving cement treating the base material, mixing mortar for drainage structures, dust control for some ditch grading, slide repairs, hydro seeding or pipe flushing. We, in the past, pumped water from creeks or ponds, but we have ceased taking water from these sources due to concerns with minimum creek flows or due to permit restrictions from regulatory agencies.

The Pescadero Maintenance Yard’s source of water is a horizontal well. The well has been performing poorly in the most recent past and we may have to find another source of water to supply the Maintenance Yard in the future.

The closest source of water if we are not allowed to use the water from the wells on County property or from CSA 11’s distribution system, is a Coastside County Water District fire hydrant at the southerly city limits of Half Moon Bay.

We believe that the water for the uses described above will be beneficial to the rate payers in CSA11 since its use is either for the maintenance of the water distribution system of CSA 11, or used to maintain the roads in and around CSA 11.

Vision Alignment

We believe our recommendation is consistent with Goal Number 7, “maintain and enhance the public safety of all residents and visitors” of the Shared Vision Commitment to “ensure basic health and safety for all,” as using the water for the purposes as described above will either directly (flushing water lines) or indirectly (maintain County roads in the area) benefit the property owners in CSA 11.

Fiscal Impact

The cost associated with the two uses of the water that we are requesting be allowed is essentially the pumping costs which are approximately $0.0039 per unit (748 gallons per unit) of water pumped. We believe that there should not be a charge for the water since it is obtained from the County owned property.

The cost of the water and hauling it from the nearest source (Half Moon Bay) to the Pescadero Corporation Yard on Pescadero Creek Road is estimated at $200 per load using the County ‘s 3,500-gallon water truck. We would look at cutting back on maintenance that requires water, and either import water or only use the Pescadero Maintenance Yard on a limited basis in the future, as a way of reducing costs as our revenues are continuing to decline as the cost of maintenance continues to rise.

There is no impact to the General Fund.

A form of resolution has been approved by County Counsel.

A copy of our staff report has been sent to the Pescadero Municipal Advisory Counsel, and we will report any comments that we receive.