Approve support of the North Davis Meadows County Service Area initiation of the application process for the potential water system consolidation project with the City of Davis utilizing Proposition 1, Drinking Water State Revolving Fund monies. (No general fund impact) (Echiburu/Espinoza)
 

1. Direct CSA staff to utilize the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Financial Assistance Application Submittal Tool to initiate the application process for obtaining Proposition 1 Funding for the North Davis Meadows CSA Water System Consolidation project with the City of Davis.
    
2. Direct CSA staff to prepare, complete and submit all necessary materials per the application process, and to continue collaborations with the City of Davis representatives and staff to obtain all required materials for the application.

Over the last 6 years the North Davis Meadows County Service Area (NDMCSA) Staff and Advisory Committee along with the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Drinking Water branch previously known as California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Yolo County Environmental Health Division (EH) have been in discussions regarding how best to remediate the NDMCSA Nitrate concentrations in the water system wells.

The NDMCSA operates two water wells in their system, referred to as Wells 1 and 2. These wells have concentrations of nitrate that exceed the State  primary maximum contaminant level (MCL). Both wells have also exceeded the CDPH secondary MCL for specific conductance and State notification level for boron. The Yolo County Environmental Health Division issued Compliance Order No: 12-09 on December 1, 2009, which stated that this water system must be brought into compliance by December 1, 2010.  Previous attempts to improve water quality have not achieved the desired level of success with regard to water quality improvements. Currently the system is also exceeding the State MCL for hexavalent chromium. A plan for remediation is required by the State by December 2015.

After numerous public/community discussions at the NDMCSA Advisory Committee level it was determined in March of 2012 that the most favorable alternative for nitrate remediation in particular, was to construct deep aquifer wells at each of the existing well sites. The assessment district for the Proposition 218 began in early 2013 and was interrupted when the CSA was approached by the Woodland-Davis Clean Water Agency with regard to the possible financial incentives of jointly applying with the City of Davis for the State Revolving Fund low interest loans for a consolidation project. The proposed consolidation project has been discussed with the North Davis Meadows County Service Area as a whole on numerous occasions. The CSA Advisory Committee has completed an informal survey of the neighborhood to ascertain whether there is interest in the continuous exploration of the consolidation project . The recent survey results were tallied to be in overwhelming favor of the consolidation project as opposed to continuing with the proposed 2012 project of drilling deep aquifer wells.

At this time the NDM CSA has decided that the desired course of action to be pursued is to file an application for the State Revolving Fund low interest loan funding provided by the State Water Resource Control Board Drinking Water Branch,  Proposition 1 monies.

This application will take intense effort on behalf of NDMCSA and also continued collaboration with the City of Davis representatives. The low interest loan could potentially save NDMCSA financing costs when compared to the private funding cost option.
 
Tentatively, the City of Davis will be discussing the support of the North Davis Meadows application at the July 7 City Council meeting.
 

North Davis Meadows County Service Area Advisory Committee/Water Subcommittee, City of Davis, County Administrators Office.