More than 5,000 customers in the Sunnyslope Water District
should get some relief from an original projection that rates would
increase 15 percent in July because the agency has decided to put
off a new groundwater treatment plant serving mainly Ridgemark
residents.
HOLLISTER
More than 5,000 customers in the Sunnyslope Water District should get some relief from an original projection that rates would increase 15 percent in July because the agency has decided to put off a new groundwater treatment plant serving mainly Ridgemark residents.
Through meetings with the Regional Water Quality Control Board and the local governance committee, district officials recently made that call. The district plans to progress on groundwater treatment upgrades at some point, but officials expect to hold more talks on its potential location, who it would serve and what type of technology would be used.
According to Sunnyslope County Water District Engineer Ken Girouard, the plant will serve whatever pressure zones need service and a decision on details will be made sooner than later.
An immediate benefit for many of the customers is that water rates in the Sunnyslope district will not be taking such a steep hike as proposed in the recent past.
“The rates are going to be significantly less,” Girouard said. “It doesn’t include money for a groundwater treatment plant.”
Depending on the funding for the capital projects that Sunnyslope can obtain, the increase in water rates could be either 9 percent or 13 percent for each of the next two years. If the district secures regular bond funding, the rate would be 13 percent. And if state funding can be secured, the rate would be 9 percent. The schedule also says that after two years, there will be only cost-of-living adjustments at 2 percent for bond funding or 3 percent from the state.
“We’ve looking at an 18- to 26-percent increase rather than 60 percent,” Girouard said.
Once Sunnyslope decides which type of technology to use for the groundwater treatment plant, there will be another rate increase of some kind.
The old plan had called for rate increases to fund various capital projects for the district including the new treatment plant and upgrading another.
The upgrade to the Lessalt Treatment Plant – which treats water coming from the delta, delivered by the San Benito County Water District – will increase output from 1.5 million gallons per day to 3 million gallons per day of potable water and will meet new disinfectant byproduct rules set forth by the Department of Public Health, Sunnyslope Water District, Girouard said.
According to a staff report from the water district, the control board recommended a change from a specific plan using specific technology to a generalized plan using nonspecific technologies.
The prior plan called for lime softening, which would take magnesium and calcium out of the water. By doing this, the plant would provide water that wouldn’t need to be filtered by a salt-based water filter.
Girouard said that Sunnyslope will be going back to the governance committee for the exact technology used in the plant and the location.
“When it is decided by the governance committee, then we will put that amount of money into the budget,” he said.
The district is undergoing the 45-day comment period for the draft environmental impact report for the wastewater treatment improvement projects that will conclude on April 20.
If you would like to comment on any of these items, the water district will be holding a public hearing at 5:15 p.m. on April 9 at the district office at 3570 Airline Highway in Hollister. The district has also tentatively scheduled another hearing to consider the proposed projects at 5:15 p.m. on June 11 at the district office.
