Laserfiche WebLink
BACKGROUND <br />In November 2013, City Council adopted The City of Pleasanton Recycled Water <br />Feasibility Study, and directed staff to pursue both the environmental documentation <br />and funding necessary to continue advancing Pleasanton's Recycled Water Program, <br />as outlined in the aforementioned feasibility study. <br />In response to California's current record breaking drought, in March 2014 the SWRCB <br />approved 1.0 %, 30 -year term loans through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund <br />(CWSRF) in an increased effort to support the development of alternative water sources <br />that will reduce the water demand off of the State Water Project. This interest rate will <br />terminate once $800 million of funding has been obligated to projects with an estimated <br />recycled water delivery to customers by January 17, 2017. <br />The final items necessary for the City to ensure successful submission for CWSRF <br />funding include the following items: <br />• Completion of California Environmental Quality Act documents — currently <br />underway <br />• Adopted Pledged Revenue and Fund Resolution — this document fulfills the <br />federal law requirement that CWSRF applicants establish a dedicated source of <br />revenue for repayment. This financing agreement identifies the pledged revenue <br />and fund that will be used for repayment. <br />• Adopted Reimbursement Resolution - this document establishes the City's legal <br />intention to finance the construction of the City's Recycled Water Project with <br />moneys provided by the State of California, and sets the expected maximum <br />principal amount of the loan to $14,007,230. <br />DISCUSSION <br />Recycled water is considered by the Department of Water Resources California Water <br />Plan 2013 (draft) as one of the key long -term, resource management strategies in <br />mitigating California's future water supply shortfalls. The State's Recycled Water Policy <br />declares "independence from relying on the vagaries of annual precipitation and move <br />towards sustainable management of surface waters and groundwater, together with <br />enhanced water conservation, water reuse [water recycling], and the use of stone <br />water" <br />As a reflection of the above policy, the state has implemented programs that provide <br />long -term low interest rate funding to agencies to expand the use of recycled water. <br />Staff has analyzed the potential for various funding sources and has determined that the <br />combination of availability, low interest rate and term of payback, represents the best <br />option for funding long term recycling water needs. Assuming the City repays the loan <br />over the thirty year loan term, interest charges would be approximately $45,000. <br />As indicated, the focus of the repayment resolution (Attachment 1) is to memorialize <br />that the City will repay the loan. The pledge resolution (Attachment 2) commits the City <br />to collecting the revenues require to repay the loan and established a lien in favor of the <br />State Water Resources Control Board on the City's Water M &O Fund to assure loan <br />Page 2 of 3 <br />