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W A T E R E N E R C Y I <br />RIVERSIDE PUBLIC UTILITIES <br />WI& Board Memorandum <br />P U B L I C U T I L I T I E S <br />BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES DATE: NOVEMBER 28, 2016 <br />ITEM NO: 5 <br />SUBJECT: MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FOR SALINITY MANAGEMENT IN THE SAN <br />BERNARDINO BASIN AREA WITH EAST VALLEY WATER DISTRICT AND SAN <br />BERNARDINO VALLEY MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT <br />ISSUES: <br />That the Riverside Public Utilities Board recommend City Council approve the Memorandum of <br />Understanding for Salinity Management in the San Bernardino Basin Area with East Valley Water District <br />and San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District. <br />RECOMMENDATION: <br />That the Board of Public Utilities recommend City Council approve the Memorandum of Understanding for <br />Salinity Management in the San Bernardino Basin Area. <br />BACKGROUND: <br />San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District (Valley District) and East Valley Water District (EVWD) <br />propose to develop the Sterling Natural Resource Center (SNRC) Project, which will reclaim 6 million <br />gallons per day of wastewater and will recharge the treated effluent into the San Bernardino Basin Area <br />(SBBA). Specifically, the SNRC will discharge to City Creek, located in the City of Highland, and to the <br />Redlands Recharge Basins, located west of Interstate 210 along the Santa Ana River as shown in Figure <br />1. Valley District is the lead agency who will build and operate the SNRC. <br />Beginning with the release of the Draft Environmental Impact Report in December 2015, Riverside Public <br />Utilities (RPU) expressed concern that the SNRC could adversely impact water quality extracted from <br />RPU's wells. Specifically, RPU was concerned that the project could elevate levels of Total Dissolved <br />Solids or salts within the groundwater in future years. Currently, the salt levels in RPU drinking water are <br />within state and federal guidelines. <br />Based on current information, the SNRC project is not expected to significantly increase the salt levels at <br />RPU's wells. However, RPU desired stronger assurances from Valley District and EVWD that mitigation <br />would occur should salt levels increase in the future as a result of discharges from the SNRC. Not only <br />would it impact RPU, but it could also affect Riverside's wastewater treatment process operated by the <br />Department of Public Utilities. A portion of the RPU's water ultimately discharges to the City of Riverside's <br />wastewater treatment plant. The wastewater treatment plant is regulated by the State and has strict <br />guidelines on the levels of salt in its effluent. Any future salt increase within the SBBA could ultimately <br />impact the City's wastewater treatment plant. <br />