The rumors of wooden pipes coursing through the bowels of San
Juan Bautista’s city streets could soon be put to rest thanks to a
long-awaited $3.8 million federal grant that will allow the Mission
City to rebuild its dilapidated infrastructure and sewer system,
according to city officials.
San Juan Bautista – The rumors of wooden pipes coursing through the bowels of San Juan Bautista’s city streets could soon be put to rest thanks to a long-awaited $3.8 million federal grant that will allow the Mission City to rebuild its dilapidated infrastructure and sewer system, according to city officials.
City Manager Larry Cain said in 10 short months, workers should begin two years of construction to gut all of Fourth Street, build a new 750,000-gallon water treatment facility on San Juan Road, a 1.25 million-gallon water storage facility and install new water pipes throughout the city.
“This project is meant to improve the quality of the water we deliver in San Juan Bautista and to keep us from getting into a situation where our wastewater quality isn’t good enough for the regional board,” Cain said. “The city has neglected doing something about this for many, many years.”
The city has needed a total overhaul of its infrastructure system for at least 30 years, said Supervisor Anthony Botelho. Not only will it provide better water to residents, it could create a more attractive business climate and help revitalize the historic downtown, he said.
“It is a tremendous opportunity for San Juan to update its infrastructure that will last it for the next 100 years,” Botelho said. “I tip my hat to the San Juan City Council and Larry Cain for their relentless efforts in getting this grant.”
Councilman Charles Geiger said the city’s water system has been severely impacted by the construction of a couple housing developments over the past 20 years. Several months ago, the city suffered about eight pipe breaks in a two-week period because of built-up pressure within the rusted pipes. Constantly digging up portions of downtown to repair the ancient lines is not only costly, but a huge inconvenience for residents and tourists alike, he said.
“We’ve had severe breaks, and it’s not good,” Geiger said. “They kid about wooden pipes in San Juan – I’ve never seen a wooden pipe, but I know the infrastructure is bad. People don’t talk about it too much, but we’re hoping every day it’s going to be a good day.”
City council members began working fervently to land the federal grant about five years ago, but because of the strict regulations regarding grants, for one reason or another the city always failed to meet the process requirements in a timely fashion, Geiger said. For the last two years, the council has made the infrastructure grant one of its top priorities.
The project will cost about $7.9 million in its entirety, and to finance the rest of it, the San Benito County Water District has committed $3.1 million and San Juan will have to cough up the rest, Cain said.
Currently, San Juan residents receive their water from several wells, and after the water is pumped out of the wells it is injected with a form of disinfectant, Cain said. Through the new project, the water will be treated through a higher-quality water treatment plant. The plant will be built on San Juan Road at Mission Vineyard Road and will treat 750,000 gallons of water a day, but if necessary could be expanded by 250,000 gallons, Cain said. While 20 percent of the city’s water will still come from the wells, 80 percent will be imported through the county’s San Felipe Water Project, he said.
The new storage tank will be built on top of a hill on Lasuen Drive, and instead of having a storage tank that holds about 330,000 gallons of water such as the current one, it will hold up to 1.25 million gallons, Cain said.
“(The current tank) is not large enough to protect us in a serious fire situation or a seismic event,” Cain said. “It’s a major improvement to safety in the city, and it’s our obligation to deliver quality water to the city.”
The San Benito County Water District committed money to San Juan’s project because it has been charging the city a ground water tax for many years for municipal and industrial water that the city doesn’t always use, Cain said.
“This is them being generous back to us with money that we’ve been generous to them with over the years,” Cain said.
But before the sound of jackhammers pierce the silence or the first sledgehammer is swung, city officials still have a long way to go to procure the last bit of funding, put out a bid on the project and solidify all the plans, Cain said. To cover its portion of the funding, which could amount to more than $1 million, the city will take almost $900,000 from city funds made up of State Transportation Improvement Funds, and the rest from the city treasury, he said. The city, which has an annual budget of only $2.1 million, will most likely have to apply for more state and federal grants and loans to cover that cost.
Cain was unsure of an exact timeline, but said when construction finally begins either the pipelines or the storage tank will be built first. The city’s main water lines run under Fourth Street, which will also have larger storm drains constructed for better drainage and smooth asphalt paved over a pot-hole ridden road, Cain said.
“I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but it’s never been easy,” he said. “We got a lot of farther than anybody ever expected us to get. People have been betting against us for some time.”
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or em*******@fr***********.com
