Freeport Regional Water Project
EBMUD has entered into a partnership with the Sacramento County Water Agency (SCWA) to design and build a regional water supply project that will provide water for East Bay customers in dry years and needed water for the Sacramento region. EBMUD's Mokelumne River water supply is adequate to meet the needs of the District's 1.3 million customers in normal and wet years, but in prolonged droughts, customers face severe rationing. Through the Freeport Regional Water Project, EBMUD customers' drought year cutbacks will be reduced.
Major Project Elements
The following elements were approved under the 2004 EIR and subsequently refined through supplemental CEQA documents in 2006:
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A new 185 MGD water intake structure and pumping plant on the Sacramento River north of Freeport.
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A new large diameter pipeline to transport water eastward from the intake to a new SCWA water treatment plant and to the existing Folsom South Canal.
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A new water treatment plant in central Sacramento County to treat the water for municipal use by SCWA customers.
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Two new pumping plants and a large diameter pipeline to transport water from the southern end of the Folsom South Canal to EBMUD's Mokelumne Aqueducts for use by EBMUD customers.
Background
In 2002, EBMUD and the County of Sacramento (in association with the City of Sacramento and with support from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation) formed the Freeport Regional Water Authority (FRWA), which is responsible for the joint effort to draw water from the Sacramento River north of the town of Freeport. Construction of the project is now underway.
Project Update
Construction began in January 2007 and is approximately 60 percent complete. Completion of all of the project elements, with the exception of the SCWA water treatment plant, is scheduled for December 2009, at which time the project will be able to deliver water to EBMUD whenever a drought condition exists. The SCWA water treatment plant will be completed in 2010.
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Summer 2008 - Summer 2009 |
Complete construction of most of the pipeline facilities and continue construction of the intake, the pumping plants and the water treatment plant. |
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December 2009 |
Substantially complete construction of all facilities as required for delivery of water to EBMUD customers. |
For more information
For additional details about the project, visit the FRWA website at www.freeportproject.org.