Sandmound / Bethel Island Area - Consolidation

Pipeline will be in the Right of Way (see minutes for map of area).

Approximately three years until the start of construction, based on the anticipated time to complete the application and State Board agreement.

Each mutual will decide what to do with their wells. The grant will not cover converting the wells for irrigation but could potentially cover well abandonment, which is costly.

Beaconwest was connected under emergency for arsenic exceedances that increased to the point that action needed to be taken; customers had to pay for the emergency pipeline, since no grant funding was available to them at the time.

The SOI is regulated by LAFCO. The District’s SOI was amended to include Delta Coves as their wells were unable to meet drinking water standards. The CVP allocates some of our water, and there is a federal inclusion process to annex parcels that takes about a year.

Factors such as high groundwater, septic systems, aging infrastructure, and changes in regulatory levels have caused degradation of water quality.

Each water mutual/private well owner will have to make that decision themselves. Each mutual’s bylaws for voting will determine if they opt in or out. If a group does not participate in the consolidation project, they will need an action plan to resolve the primary exceedances and correct their water quality issues, which will be enforced by the County.

Anyone needing free assistance with their bylaws can contact Toby Roy at troy@rcac.org.

For this grant, the District is pushing for 100% grant funding. Anyone can opt out, but with the study, you are going to get more information about your water system. We want the community to be informed before making a decision. The feasibility study will be 100% grant-funded.

For this grant, the District is pushing for 100% grant funding. Currently, the grant does not cover the back of the meter to the home.

In the past, there have been issues with grant funding not covering everything.  The District is trying to get both projects to be 100% grant-funded, but there is no guarantee until a contract with the State is signed. The District is working to expedite the grant. We encourage mutuals and well owners to remain involved in the process to learn what costs will be covered.

DWD has the lowest water rates in the area. Fees pay for everything- replacing main and meters etc. A typical residential 5/8” meter has a monthly service charge of $20.44, while water rates start at $3.05 for every cubic foot (748 gallons). There are also conservation programs and rebates available, as well as income-based discounts on the monthly service charge.

Sandmound:

As part of the planning, a Preliminary Engineering Report outlining the proposed improvements for the consolidation will be finalized in the near future. This will be followed by the development of plans and specifications, preparation of environmental compliance documents and a construction grant application. A construction grant application will be submitted to request Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) construction funding by approximately October 2024. It is then expected to take the Water Board approximately 9-12 months to enter into a grant agreement with DWD. Construction could commence in late 2025.

Bethel Island:

The grant application is currently complete. The State Water Board has stated that it could take 9 months to review the application and enter into a grant agreement with DWD. The planning under the grant would be similar to the planning for the Sandmound project with completion of a Preliminary Engineering Report, plans and specifications, preparation of environmental compliance documents and a construction grant application. Construction for this project could potentially commence around 2028.