(Left) Peter Kampa, General Manager Lake Don Pedro Community Services District at a March 9, 2015 Lake Don Pedro Community Services District Public Hearing.
I. Question: Suppose on August 31st we run out of water, what is our plan?
Answer: We run the lake level drawdown numbers on a daily basis, and have confirmed those numbers against MID’s worst case scenario predictions for the lake. If all conditions remain unchanged, (weather, fish flows, water use) the lake is predicted to drop to 560 on October 23, 2015. The lake bottom is recorded at 540, and the District and MID have always used that number when calculating the end of water supply for LDPCSD. We are using an elevation (560) as the end of our water supply, which we believe to be conservative. Our assumption is that the water from 540 to 550 will be filled with muck and unusable, and between 550 and 560 the water should be usable, considering our pumps protrude 5 feet below the barge (water surface). We are also evaluating the opportunities to install a coffer dam or other structure at the bottom of the lake to allow our pumps to continue to operate below 560, by damming the river downstream of the pumps and using river inflow to keep the pumps submerged. The environmental process, permitting and funding for this will take time unfortunately, and the result is unknown of whether we can construct or not. Also, MID and our engineers are not convinced that there will be continuous inflow into the lake this year, so anything we construct may go dry weeks after completed.
II. Question: The lake has so much muck going through our pipes we can no longer supply water to the community? What is the plan?
Answer: Our treatment plant, using well water and combined with even very dirty lake water should perform well. One concern is the amount of water lost increases significantly when you have to backwash the filters more frequently when the incoming water is dirty.
III. Question: What if the wells run dry after one month of operation?
Answer: By the time late August rolls around, we should have the following wells in place, with estimated combined production capability of 350 to 400 GPM. In order to accurately calculate safe and predictable well production capabilities, extensive testing is completed pursuant to a standard developed by our project engineer, District Engineer Elizabeth Binkley, and hydrologist Paul Horton. This testing standard also must be approved by the state, whose job it is to make sure we are not overstating the production capability of a well. The testing involves a pumping capacity step test, where a variety of pump flow rates are used; groundwater level continuously monitored, and well water level recovery rates factored in. This test provides a solid estimation of the capacity and safe yield of the well. Following the step test, a 10 day pumping flow test is performed with the pump running at its maximum flow rate for 10 days, round the clock; with groundwater level monitored continuously and recovery rates evaluated. This test is then used to confirm the safe yield assumptions from the step test. The level of the other District existing and new well sites are monitored continuously during this testing as well. The step test on one property we are considering purchasing informed us that the “crack” or recharge area of this well may be small, resulting in a slow recovery; which indicates that this well may draw down dangerously during the 10 day test; which is upcoming after we install pipe to the treatment plant so we don’t waste millions of gallons of water on the ground! The neighboring property’s well is also hydraulically connected to our new well #2, and we will know more after the 10 day test. By the end of May, all well tests will be complete and the firm yield will be known. If the firm yield of these combined wells do not comfortably meet demand, we will either have to immediately drill more wells (which will likely produce the same results), strictly enforce the 50% conservation, or install temporary emergency above-ground piping to McClure Point and float emergency pumps, even without state permits to do so. Again, we are constantly planning each and every of these scenarios.
Potential Wells in Process
1. (Existing) Ranchito Well #1 – Long term safe yield = 35 GPM, produces up to 100 GPM but the drawdown needs to be monitored.
2. New Ranchito Well #2 – Well casing to be installed May 18, and the first of two pumping tests started that week. Expected completion date mid to late June and production estimated at 100 GPM
3. New well on parcel close to CSD office– assuming we purchase the property and develop the well, the safe yield is estimated at 75 to 100 GPM and could be completed by mid to late June.
4. New El Prado wells (#3 and #4) – currently planning to proceed with construction of these wells due to the lower than expected production of the well recently tested. Well casing will be installed immediately upon completion of casing in Well #2. Due to the need for a treatment plant on these wells, and the time required to receive an appropriate grant agreement from the state, it may take until September or early October for these wells to be online. The Combined estimated production 125 GPM.
II. Question: The second question was why do you not keep the community informed on where we are with the water, could we put out pamphlet or something?
Answer: This is a great question, and one that was raised at the last Board meeting wherein I was stated the intent to hire a short term temporary person, within the approved budget amendment, to focus specifically on the emergency and water conservation outreach. The Board, in majority, appeared to be concerned with spending more money on this effort, and the GM agreed he would continue to consider low cost solutions. It seems simple enough, just package this stuff up and mail it out! Just as we firm up plans to do so, we receive information from MID, a funding agency, or community members that make us feel compelled to update the message again….and so on. Unfortunately everything takes time, and we don’t have much free time on our hands lately.
We will be mailing out the most recent update and current water conservation requirements very soon; within one week. Everyone has an idea and opinion on how this is to be done, and how we can save money in the process. I had developed a sure-fire plan on how we could maximize our communication impact at a low cost; and I am now spending time working on that alternate communication solution. We are also planning to install a couple signs on the community entrances to inform of the water situation. The Board has spoken clearly, and we agree…we need more communication with our customers, in a timely manner. Now it is up to the GM to come up with a way to make that happen, and he am working on that.
At the May 19 meeting, the Board will be better informed of the intense planning process and status of projects. Our contingency plan if all else fails, request the state allow us to deliver water from El Prado and other wells in violation of the secondary drinking water standards until the treatment plant can be completed, bottled water made available and/or delivered, and potentially bulk water deliveries, depending on cash availability.
