Studies

Formation of a Community Services District to Provide Water to the Mark West Area

North Sonoma County Agricultural Reuse

The purpose of the proposed North Sonoma County Agricultural Reuse Project is to provide an alternative source of agricultural water to reduce reliance on natural water supplies and address regional water supply and regulatory issues. The public would benefit from this project through the reduction of use of riparian water supplies, the reduction of wastewater discharges to regional waterways, and from the environmental benefit to fish and wildlife. The project would provide lands within the study area with a reliable water supply, thereby reducing demands on the region's natural water sources.

The main source of water for this project will be tertiary treated municipal wastewater generated and conveyed in the Geysers Pipeline. Sources of recycled water may be available from the City of Santa Rosa Laguna Subregional Wastewater Treatment Facility, Airport / Larkfield / Wikiup Wastewater Treatment Plant, Town of Windsor Wastewater Treatment Facility, City of Healdsburg Wastewater Treatment Facility, City of Cloverdale Wastewater Treatment Facility, and the Geyserville Wastewater Treatment Facility.

The project would involve construction of several off-stream water storage facilities; construction of pipelines to and from storage facilities and for distribution; construction of related structures, booster pump stations, and other appertenances.

Engineering Feasibility Report - March 2006

Sonoma Valley Recycled Water Feasibility Study

The Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District (SVCSD) operates a treatment facility within the Sonoma Valley that during certain times of the year (November through May) discharges treated water to the San Pablo Bay. The purpose of the feasibility study is to explore options for recycled water use and, as feasible, propose projects to facilitate recycled water use within the Sonoma Valley. Potential benefits of using SVCSD recycled water include environmental benefits from reduced discharges to the San Pablo Bay, reduction of peak potable water demands on the Valley of the Moon Water District and City of Sonoma's distribution systems, and potential reduction of groundwater pumping for agricultural purposes.

The objectives of the feasibility study are to:

Evaluate the feasibility (technical and economic) of expanded use of recycled water in Sonoma Valley.
Evaluate potential water supply, environmental, and economic benefits for stakeholders (VOMWD, City of Sonoma, SVCSD, agricultural interests) in addition to ecological benefits.
Design a long-term planning document designed to identify or develop a phased program.

U.S. Geological Survey Groundwater Study

The Sonoma County Water Agency is working with scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to develop a cooperative study to evaluate groundwater resources in the major groundwater basins within the county. The primary purpose of the study is to develop a detailed understanding of the ground-water/surface-water system in the Alexander, Santa Rosa, and Sonoma valleys and the interaction between them.

This study will assist the Sonoma County Water Agency and other end users in better understanding the potential impacts of increasing ground-water demand on water levels and water quality and in developing county-wide strategies for efficient surface-water/ground-water management. The USGS will address significant issues of stream-aquifer interaction and develop new, transferable tools for analyzing multi-basin water management.

Specific tasks will be: (1) Development of a geographic information system (GIS) to compile relevant data for the ground-water basins; (2) Data collection, including water-quality sampling from the Russian River and wells; (3) Simulation modeling of the upper Russian River ground-water/surface-water system and Sonoma Valley ground-water basin; and (4) Evaluation of the linked water management of the two systems. A report describing the results of the study will be completed in year 4 of the study and the simulation models and the GIS will be documented and released to the public.

Napa-Sonoma Salt Marsh Restoration

The Napa River Unit of the Napa-Sonoma Marsh Wildlife area consists of 9,850 acres of salt ponds, remnant slough and marsh habitat formerly used as an industrial salt production facility. The California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) purchased the property in 1994. The Sonoma County Water Agency is working with CDFG, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Coastal Conservancy to develop a plan for restoration of these marshlands.

The Agency is considering a plan to provide recycled water from sanitation plants near San Pablo Bay for use in site restoration. The project could use available recycled water that may otherwise be discharged to San Pablo Bay for a period of 10 to 15 years to accomplish restoration. Facilities could subsequently be used to provide water for agricultural use allowing several local sanitation plants to reduce discharges to the San Francisco Bay and reducing dependence on natural runoff for agricultural uses.