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comment letters. The State Water Resources Control Board letters essentially reminded the City of the need for CEQA and NEPA compliance as part of the loan qualification and a letter from the California Department of Transportation reminded staff to obtain the proper permitting if any work is to be performed in their right of way. Staff also received comments from Zone 7 which applauded the city for moving forward with the recycled water program and provided several technical comments, some of which staff worked into the document where appropriate. Mr. Smith addressed several comments and concerns shared by the Council and public outside of the public review period, one of which pertains to the groundwater basin. He stressed that neither staff nor the State of California would allow the project to move forward if it were at all improper. He explained that the two primary sources of contaminants entering the groundwater basin include nutrients, such as nitrogen which might be released in fertilizer or waste water, and salt which hardens the groundwater. He explained that what most do not realize is that surface water, and the pollutants contained within that, are actually the greatest cause of groundwater basin hardening. He also explained that recycled water, particularly when used for irrigation as with this project, is controlled in such a way that it does not have a chance to percolate in the basin the same way that potable water does. He said that the need to treat the ground water supply for hardness would occur regardless of the use of recycled water and that Zone 7's existing reverse osmosis plant is actually mitigation for the relatively low level of salts generated as a result of the project. He also addressed the issue of exposure to certain toxins resulting from contact with or inhalation of recycled water. He shared information provided by the WateReuse Association, which demonstrates that the trace amounts of pharmaceutical and personal care products that might be contained in recycled water are really of little concern for those coming into contact with recycled water used in parks or other areas. He reviewed the city's compliance with various Title 22 regulations, which include signage, irrigation covers and specially colored sprinkler heads to provide notice to the public that recycled water is in use. These regulations also prohibit the spray of recycled water over eating areas such as picnic grounds, although the State has demonstrated that this is not a real concern and is expected to amend this law within the next year or two. The city's safety measures also include shielding of drinking fountains located within areas irrigated with recycled water and timing irrigation to occur during the evening and early morning hours when people generally are not present in public spaces. He presented a map of Hacienda Business Park, demonstrating those areas already served by recycled water as well as those to be implemented in the first and second phases of the program and connection to the Tassajara Reservoir. He also reported that between the CLC development and Val Vista Park, the city has saved almost 15.5 million gallons of potable water this year alone. Mr. Smith presented the staff recommendation, asking the Council to adopt the Final Initial Study, Mitigated Negative Declaration, and Mitigation Monitoring Report Program for the Recycled Water Project and to authorize staff to file the Notice of Determination with the California Clearing House and Alameda County Clerk. Councilmember Brown requested more information on the Tassajara Reservoir, which appears to be located in Dublin, and its location relative to the recycled water pumping station. Mr. Smith explained that the 8 million gallon potable water storage reservoir was constructed in the late 1990s as a dual project between the cities of Dublin and Pleasanton, although Dublin backed out of the project halfway through. While located in Dublin, the reservoir is owned solely by the city of Pleasanton. As it was designed to manage the capacity required by both cities systems, it is currently grossly underused as a peaking reservoir for Pleasanton alone. He explained that one of the primary hurdles in constructing a recycled water system is typically storage capacity, which is not an issue for the city as it is able to repurpose this existing and underused facility. He demonstrated the existing and planned pipeline that would complete connection of the system to the reservoir. City Council Minutes Page 3 of 12 September 16,2014