Santa Clara and Honby Wells PFAS Groundwater Treatment Improvements Project
Summary
SCH Number
2020090132
Public Agency
Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency
Document Title
Santa Clara and Honby Wells PFAS Groundwater Treatment Improvements Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
9/4/2020
Document Description
The proposed action today is authorization to prepare a final design for this project. The whole of the action also includes construction and operation of the project. The term "Project" in CEQA refers to the whole of the action and to the underlying activity being approved, not to each governmental approval. (CEQA Guideline §15378(a}, (c)-(d)). This definition ensures that the action reviewed under CEQA is not the approval itself but the development or other activities that will result from the approval. Therefore, the Project is subject to CEQA.
The Project will consist of installing 4 tanks (approx. 12' diameter, 17' height}, associated cartridge filters, piping, a chloramination disinfection facility housed within a structure, along with associated electrical, SCADA, water quality measuring equipment, pump upgrades and approximately 1, 100 feet of 10"-18" water main pipe located in the City of Santa Clarita's Right-of-Way between the Hanby Well and the Sand Canyon Pump Station site. The vessels will be loaded with ion exchange resin which will trap the contaminants via adsorption. The treatment system will treat up to 1 ,500 gpm for the Santa Clara Well and 950 gpm for the Hon by Well. The treatment is needed since the chemical group PFAS has begun to be regulated and tests of these wells have detected these chemicals, which has led to our inability to use said wells without treatment.
During normal operations, the primary discharge at the site will occur when the wells are started up and the well water is discharged to waste prior to sending water through the treatment and distribution system. For well start-up the pump to waste duration is approximately 2-3 minutes at a rate of 1,500 gpm for the Santa Clara Well and 950 gpm for the Honby Well.
Contact Information
Name
Rick Vasilopulos
Agency Name
Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Cities
Santa Clarita
Counties
Los Angeles
Other Location Info
The Santa Clara Well is located at 27100 Furnival Avenue and the Hanby Well is located at 26930 Ruether Drive, both in Santa Clarita, California.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
See CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 and 15303.
Reasons for Exemption
Based on the preliminary project design and anticipated final design, and because the project construction is a minor alteration limited to construction within the Agency's existing facility property and the City of Santa Clarita Rights-of-Way, construction and operation of this project is found to be categorically exempt under the provisions of CEQA and the State CEQA Guidelines as described below:
• The Project, aka the whole of the action, qualifies for an exemption under CEQA guidelines section 15301 Class 1 Existing Facilities because it is a minor alteration of an existing public facility and it concerns proposed new mechanical equipment involving negligible or no expansion of use, i.e. no additional extraction of water, beyond that existing at the time of the lead agency's determination.
• The Project, aka the whole of the action, also qualifies for an exemption under CEQA guidelines section 15303 Class 3 New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures because the water main extension and treatment system reflect limited construction of facilities where only minor modifications are made.
• None of the exemptions listed in Section 15300.2 of the CEQA Guidelines would apply to the action.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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