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City and County Committee
Part 1
CHARTER
The City and County Committee is responsible to investigate matters pertaining to the various City and County governments, special districts, and joint-power agencies.
Committee Members
Roy Navarro, Chairperson
Diana Tucker
John Johnson
Adam Tuomala
I. CITY WATER AND SEWER FACILITIES OF SAN JUAN BAUTISTA
BACKGROUND
This investigation stemmed from a complaint that was received by the 1999/2000 Grand Jury. Part of that complaint alleged there was collusion between the City of San Juan Bautista's then City Manager and the City's contracted facilities maintenance and engineering firm to enhance the capacity of the existing facilities to secure approval for a proposed 35 unit subdivision.
METHOD OF REVIEW
Interviews
City Council
Contracted maintenance and engineering firm
City Manager
City officials (building/planning)
City employees |
Tour of San Juan Bautista wastewater facility
Tour of San Juan Bautista municipal well
Tour of San Juan Bautista reservoir
Documents
Facsimile transmittals
Application for grant funding
Feasibility study from facilities maintenance and engineering firm
Memoranda
Cease and desist orders
Clarification notices
Personal affidavits
Emergency notices
Discharge self-monitoring reports |
OBSERVATIONS, FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS
The Grand Jury conducted a tour of the City of San Juan Bautista's municipal water and sewer facilities to try to determine if there was enough capacity to support and sustain current demand as well as any future growth of the City.
The City of San Juan Bautista has three wells that either currently or at one time supplied the City with its water demands. Well #1 is permanently out of service due to silt which makes it undrinkable. This well is currently being rented for agricultural purposes. Well #2 is the City's primary source of potable (drinkable) water. Well #3 is currently slated for emergency use only due to excessive levels of nitrate. Nitrate is used in fertilizer and is found in sewage and waste from humans and/or farm animals. Excessive levels of nitrate can cause serious illness and sometimes death, especially to infants.
A well's capacity (the amount of water a well can produce) is measured in gallons per day (gpd). Each individual well is measured and given a rated capacity that is determined to be reliable during seasons when demand is at its highest.
In a January, 1994 report from the contracted engineering firm to the (then) City Manager they stated that the City's water demand averaged about 315,000 gpd and that the capacity of well #2 was approximately "360 gallons per minute" (gpm) or approximately 518,400 gpd. This report also concludes that "under normal operating conditions, either one of the city wells can meet the system demands and the other well is a standby. Wells #2 and #3 are used on an alternating basis. City well #1 is not used."
In a January, 1998 letter from the contracted engineering firm to a City of San Juan Bautista official, the firm stated that the City's current peak water demand was approximately 520,000 gpd. The letter also stated that well #2 has a capacity of 530,000 gpd and well #3 has a capacity of 576,000 gpd. The firm concludes that "as long as both wells are operational, the water system has sufficient capacity for these developments." As noted earlier, well #3 is now condemned as a primary water supply and is to be used for emergencies only.
In a transmittal dated November 10, 1999 from the contracted engineering firm to the City Manager of San Juan Bautista, the firm seeks to "clarify" the capacities of the City's wells and their ability to supply a proposed 35 lot development. "In re-reviewing water production from well #2 in 1998, there were many days when the well produced over 630,000 gpd and although our January 22, 1999 letter stated a capacity of 530,000 gpd for well #2, that was simply based on the average daily water production in the maximum month, not based on peak production days. As a result, the capacity of both wells as stated in the letter is actually higher if you consider peak production days and not peak production months. Thus, the capacity of well #2 should be considered to be over 600,000 gpd and well #3 over 650,000 gpd. The 35 lot development will add only about 23,000 gpd of demand which represents about 3.6% of the capacity of the smallest well, and this additional demand should be the basis on which the decision to proceed or not with this development should be based."
The Grand Jury asked the engineering firm what the rated capacity of the pump is on well #2. We received a written response of "370 gallons per minute." This represents the maximum rated gallons per minute the pump on well #2 can actually flow. If the pump runs at 100% of its rated capacity, this equates to 532,800 gpd.
Furthermore, in a 2000-2001 block grant application from the City of San Juan Bautista to procure funding to upgrade the City's water facilities, the grant application states that "both wells pump 325 gallons per minute (468,000 gpd) into the municipal system" and "given the City's peak usage of 500,000 gpd the reservoir does not even hold one day's storage and has no fire capacity."
The Grand Jury finds that there are many discrepancies with respect to the capacities of the water facilities. It seems unlikely that the "peak demand" decreased from 1998 to 2001 and that the well capacity has increased. Considering the most consistent readings ('94 through '98) with a peak demand of 520,000 gpd and water production of 532,800 gpd, there would be a net of 12,800 gpd available. The proposed 35 lot development is projected to add an additional demand of 23,000 gpd - that equates to a 10,200 gpd shortfall!
The Grand Jury conducted a tour of the City's sewer facilities to determine if the facility had the capacity to sustain current demands as well as future growth. The sewage treatment facility measures its capacity in tons per day (tpd) during what is called an average dry weather flow (adwf). Flows can vary significantly depending on weather. The current adwf is approximately 190,000 tpd. This facility was recently reconfigured slightly which helped the entire system work more efficiently.
The San Juan Bautista sewage facility can handle a significantly larger daily flow than its permit allows (270,000 tpd). The system has in the past managed flows as high as 700,000 tpd without problems. The problem with the sewage plant is not the capacity of the facility but rather the capacity of the permit.
During our visits, the Grand Jury noticed several problems with the security of the facilities. When we toured the sewer plant we noticed that the fencing and gate were poorly secured and would not prevent intruders or curious youths from entering the premises. We also made note that there was a manhole cover missing from one of the inlets with about a 10-foot drop to the concrete.
When the Grand Jury toured the City's water reservoir, we noted that this is an aging facility with a failing wooden structure. The doors had apparently just received new locks and the surrounding area seemed to have been recently mowed and cleaned up. The Grand Jury cannot overstress the importance of security at the reservoir. Despite the fact that it is old, it still needs regular maintenance and security. In a letter dated January 7, 1999 a local water emergency was ordered due to an "unknown source of debris" which had contaminated the reservoir "during the night." The reality is that the City's water supply could be thoroughly contaminated very easily. It would be a small expense to better secure the doors and improve the latches at this facility.
When the Grand Jury toured the City's well #2, we were again surprised at the lack of security at the facility. There was no substantial fencing or gate to protect the well, pump, and other devices. The chlorine and chlorine pump could easily be vandalized as well as the main pump. It would be little problem for someone to disable the City's sole water supply in a few minutes. This area also appeared to have been hastily prepped for our arrival with new locks, data logs, safety equipment, etc.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The Grand Jury recommends that:
| 1. |
The City of San Juan Bautista hire an independent water engineering firm to test the City's water facilities to determine the exact capacity of well #2 (the City's only potable water supply) before any further building projects are approved. |
| 2. |
The City of San Juan Bautista take steps to better secure the City's well enclosure and all devices. |
| 3. |
They secure the chlorine barrels and chlorine pump to prevent spillage from seismic movement or vandalism. |
| 4. |
They secure the electrical switchgear with
padlocks |
| 5. |
They secure the doors of the reservoir with more substantial latches and locks. |
AFFECTED AGENCIES
San Juan Bautista City Council
San Juan Bautista City Manager
San Juan Bautista Public Works
RESPONSE REQUIRED
California Penal Code s/s 933 requires that a response to this final report's
recommendations be delivered to the presiding judge within 90 days of the receipt of the report.
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