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 assure 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 water supply 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 (FRWP), EBMUD customers' drought year cutbacks will be reduced.
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 near the town of Freeport. After completion of environmental documentation, design for the project is now underway.
Project Update
FRWA guides the planning, financing, ownership, development and construction of the project. After meetings with community members, state and federal agencies, environmental groups and other interested stakeholders of the Draft EIR was published in 2003. After addressing comments, FRWA subsequently published the Final EIR on March 9, 2004. The EIR was certified in April 2004. Subsequently, FRWA completed Endangered Species Act (ESA) compliance in the fall of 2004, leading to the Bureau of Reclamation's issuance of the Record of Decision (ROD) in January 2005. This approval kicked off the design phase.
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 pump station on the Sacramento River near Freeport
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A new large diameter pipeline to transport water eastward to the new SCWA Water Treatment Plant (WTP) and the existing Folsom South Canal to supply EBMUD customers
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A new WTP in central Sacramento County, owned and operated by SCWA, which will provide treated surface water supplies to the Sacramento area
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A new pumping facility and large diameter pipeline will treat and transport water from the southern end of the Folsom South Canal to EBMUD's Mokelumne Aqueducts for use by EBMUD customers
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Summer 2006 - Summer 2007 |
Complete engineering design, permitting, real estate acquisition and award up to 9 separate construction contracts for EBMUD, SCWA and FRWA Facilities. The Intake Structure construction contract advertises on July 19, 2006. The remaining contracts will advertise between January '07 to July '07. |
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Fall 2009 |
Complete construction of facilities needed to deliver water to EBMUD customers |
For more information
For additional details about project alternatives, project partners, public participation, the Freeport Regional Water Authority or to review the Final Environmental Impact Report/Statement, visit the Authority's website at www.freeportproject.org.