SR-505-008 (10)
EPWM:CP:BJ:f/EPWM/ADMIN/Staffrpt/06/22/04/MWDISPGrant.doc
Council Meeting: June 22, 2004 Santa Monica, California
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Contract with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
to Accept an Innovative Supply Program Grant to Install an Urban
Runoff Best Management Practice System
Introduction
This report recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to
negotiate and execute a grant contract with the Metropolitan Water District of
Southern California (MWD) to accept a $23,000 Innovative Supply Program grant
to install a demonstration urban runoff Best Management Practice system and
appropriate the funds to revenue and expenditure accounts.
Background
Federal, state and local regulations and standards require the City of Santa
Monica to reduce urban runoff pollution from storm drain discharges into the
Santa Monica Bay. Recent changes in these regulations and standards have
shifted the management strategy for urban runoff control from an end-of-pipe
approach to a sustainable watershed approach, where the entire watershed or
storm drainage area is considered. The watershed approach is considered a
best management practice (BMP) and promotes reduction and prevention of
urban runoff pollution as guiding principles.
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Discussion
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) has an annual
competitive grant program entitled the Innovative Supply Program to fund the
construction of demonstration projects which result in the replenishment of local
groundwater supplies, thus offsetting the need to import potable water from
distant watersheds outside the greater Los Angeles region. The City submitted a
grant application to MWD in November 2003 for an Urban Runoff Parkway
Infiltration project to demonstrate and evaluate the feasibility of harvesting local
runoff for infiltration. This project is a BMP project that also supports the principle
of reducing and preventing urban runoff pollution.
The proposed Urban Runoff Parkway Infiltration project is a demonstration
treatment system located in a City catch basin and adjacent to a parkway. The
treatment system includes a primary separation-screening catch basin insert to
remove trash, debris, sand, and oil and grease, as well as other soluble
pollutants. The filtered water then passes into a secondary system comprised of
a subterranean chamber located under a City parkway which is filled with
structural plastic baffles to store the filtered runoff and allow it to percolate into
the ground. Treated water exceeding the capacity of the storage chamber will
flow through an overflow system back into the storm drain.
This project, with a total estimated cost of $50,000, will demonstrate the
feasibility of harvesting and treating runoff from gutters and then infiltrating the
treated water into the ground. For municipalities with extractable groundwater
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supplies under their jurisdictions, such as Santa Monica, this infiltration will
eventually augment existing groundwater supplies. This practice will also
remove a water pollution source. If proven effective, it is hoped that these types
of projects will be replicated throughout the MWD service area of Southern
California.
Budget/Financial Impact
The City has been awarded a $23,000 grant from the MWD to provide partial
funding of this project. The funds will be deposited in revenue account
34662.403480 and the revenue budget will be increased by the same amount at
the same revenue line item. Additionally, staff requests that City Council
appropriate funds in the amount of $23,000 to the Stormwater System
Improvement CIP Account C340588.589000. The remaining project costs of
$27,000 will come from Stormwater Fund account C34058804.589000, which
has been earmarked for storm drain system improvement projects of this nature.
Recommendations
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to negotiate
and execute a grant contract with Metropolitan Water District of Southern
California for an Innovative Supply Program grant and appropriate the grant
funds as described in this report.
Prepared by: Craig Perkins, Director, Environmental and Public Works Management
Brian Johnson, Manager, Environmental Programs Division
Gil Borboa, Manager, Water Resources Division
Neal Shapiro, Senior Administrative Analyst
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