Amador County – An Upcountry special meeting of the Amador Water Agency board of directors Wednesday sought to inform the public about a Gravity Supply pipeline for the Central Amador Water Project service area, and answer the question, “Why now?”

Mancebo said the raw water conveyance system is 8,900 feet of 12-inch steel, tar-coated pipeline, with a vertical lift of approximately 1,100 feet. It is about 35 years old, with two inline pump stations, and was originally designed for a maximum capacity of 1,000 gallons a minute, and 1.4 million gallons a day. The system now is conveying more than the designed capacity, and on a peak day, typically operates at 1,300-1,600 gallons a minute, up to 2.3 million gallons a day.

Mancebo said a 1991 master plan identified improvements for the Pioneer area needed for fire protection and distribution pressures, which today would cost about $3.5 million. Mancebo said the AWA should plan for the improvements “with and without development.”

CAWP service areas include 13 former residential areas that were consolidated, and now make up Mace Meadow, Rabb Park and Pine Grove retail service districts. The CAWP Retail Distribution System includes about 90 miles of pipe, of which 42 miles is 4-inch diameter or smaller. Another 18,000 feet of pipe is 1-and-a-half inch diameter or smaller. The system also has 446 fire hydrants, which Supervisor Ted Novelli pointed out includes standpipes, with varying hose thread sizes.

Mancebo said the Gravity Supply Line would cut electricity costs to CAWP, which is about 18 percent of its operating budget. The gravity flow would decrease greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce power use by 1.88 million kilowatt hours annually.

He said studies in 1989, ’95, 2002 and ‘07 all recommend “that we move forward with the GSL.” He said now was the time for several reasons.

He said “the system today is running over its designed capacity,” and the USDA likes the GSL project and is ready to award a $5 million grant, and a long term loan for the estimated $13.5 million, provided conditions are met. He said in the current economic climate, construction bids are coming in 25-30 percent under engineers’ estimates. Since 2003, AWA and staff have moved forward on the project.

He said a rate increase in CAWP was rejected last year, and estimates now say that it would cost customers $3 to $5 more per month on their bill for the AWA to be able to finance the Gravity Supply Line. They do not know the final number to build the GSL, but if it varies from $13.9 million to $11.9 million, Mancebo said “it would only change the bottom line cost to customers about $22,000.”

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.