LAKEPORT >> An agreement between Lake County Special Districts and Water Works Engineers for engineering design services at County Service Area 20 was unanimously approved by the Lake County Board of Supervisors this week.
A request for proposals was sent to eight engineering firms in September and October, Lake County Special District Administrator Mark Dellinger said. However, Water Works Engineers were the only firm to submit a completed proposal within the 45-day time limit.
The agreement includes a geotechnical investigation, hydrogeologic report, surveying and permit procurement assistance for the water system, which serves the Soda Bay, Lakewood Park, and Riviera Heights areas.
The system was formed with the dissolution of its predecessors, Riviera Mutual Water Company and over 14 additional small independent water systems, in March of 1989. The facility was completed and went into service in 1992.
According to the agreement, the general objectives of the project are to determine whether sufficient, high quality groundwater exists within reasonable proximity to service area 20 (CSA 20) in order to provide a new groundwater wellfield, treatment plant, if necessary, and distribution system.”
“If sufficient groundwater of appropriate quality cannot be located within close enough proximity to CSA 20” to make the alternative economically feasible, Water Works Engineers will “provide necessary upgrade designs to the existing surface Water Treatment Plant,” which will enable the facility to treat water from the lake, the agreement states.
The facility is a surface water treatment plant that uses Clear Lake as the water source and includes a raw water intake structure and pumping station, as well as pretreatment and clarification/granular media filtration, granular activated carbon.
A 135,000 gallon Clearwell and one 330,000 gallon, four 60,000 gallon, and one 30,000 gallon tanks for finished water pumping are also located at the facility.
Since 2011, the system has been under a connection moratorium, issued by the State Water Resources Control Board – Division of Drinking Water, according to Dellinger.
In June, the supervisors approved a funding agreement for the project, which totals $500,000. Of the total cost, $400,000 will be funding through a grant from the drinking water resources board. The remaining $100,000 will be funding with a zero-percent interest loan with a five-year repayment term.
The loan will be repaid with funds accrued through fee for system improvement, which was approved by customers of the system in late 2011, Dellinger said.
The Soda Bay water system has 640 Connections serving a population of nearly 1,330 residents, according to the Special Districts documents associated with the system.
No members of the public offered comment on the subject.
The board unanimously approved the agreement with a 5-0 vote.
Contact J. W. Burch, IV at 900-2022.
