CLAWA Booster Station No. 1 Gas Engine

2024070512

Crestline Lake Arrowhead Water Agency (CLAWA)

NOE - Notice of Exemption

7/12/2024

7/12/2024

Jennifer Spindler

Crestline Lake Arrowhead Water Agency

General Manager

Lead/Public Agency / Project Applicant

24116 Crest Forest Drive
Crestline, CA 92325

(909) 338-1779

clawa2@clawa.net

The project is in the northwest portion of the Crestline Lake Arrowhead Water Agency (CLAWA) district boundary, in the unincorporated area of the County near Lake Silverwood, County of San Bernardino (Figure 1— Vicinity Map). The project is located between Section 7 Township 2 North, Range 4 West, San Bernardino Base and Meridian (Figure 2 — USGS Map).

The project consists of Assessor Parcel Number (APN 0341-141-34-0000). The Project site is located on the easterly portion of the Lake Silverwood Water Treatment Plant (WTP) along Highway 138 as shown in Figure 3 — Aerial Map

Categorical Exemption

14 Cal. Code Regs., §§ 15303, 15061(b)(3)

Class 3 Exemption — New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures (§15303) The project is categorically exempt from CEQA under the Class 3 exemption set forth in State CEQA Guidelines §15303, which exempts the "...installation of small new equipment and facilities in small structures; and the conversion of existing small structures from one use to another where only minor modifications are made in the exterior of the structure." CLAWA owns and operates the WTP, which has a capacity of 5 million gallons per day. The developed Booster Station No. 1 located on the eastern portion of the WTP has continually provided water service to the communities in the San Bernardino Mountains, including areas from Cedarpines Park to Green Valley. The proposed Project would enhance the reliability of water delivery from the Lake Silverwood Water Treatment Plan into CLAWA's transmission system. The Project is proposing to install a 617-HP natural gas engine and pump with capacity to produce 750 gallons per minute at Booster Station No. 1 which would take up about 2,500 SF total of space within an existing parking/paved area. The new 617-HP engine and pump would provide redundancy to the existing pumps already operating on the WTP site. The new 617-HP gas engine and pump would ensure CLAWA can meet peak water demand in the event one of the existing pumps is out of service. Thus, the Project does not alter the existing capacity at the WTP. The Project consists of disturbing a previously paved parking area at Booster Station No. 1. Approximately less than 2,500 SF total would be disturbed; 900 SF of an area disturbed for the new pump installation and a 8-foot wide pipeline trench extending for 150 linear feet to hook up the pump. The Project does not propose any offsite improvements or modifications outside the area of the existing operating WTP site. Implementation of the Project would not result in an expansion of pumping capacity rather would provide CLAWA the ability to provide continuous reliable water services within the CLAWA service area in the event of pump failures. As such, the Project is consistent with the categorical exemption set forth in State CEQA Guidelines §15303. Finally, none of the exceptions to the categorical exemptions apply here. The Project will not have any cumulative impacts; there is no reasonable possibility that the Project will have a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances; the Project does not affect any scenic highways or historical resources; and it is not located on a hazardous waste site. General Rule — Review for Exemption (§15061(b)(3)) The project is exempt from CEQA under the General Rule set forth in State CEQA Guidelines §15061(b)(3)), which exempts Project using the "...common sense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA." As previously mentioned above, the Project is proposed within a previously developed Booster Station No. 1, specifically proposed along an existing paved parking area of the existing operating WTP. facility. Since the Project is proposing to develop on previously disturbed and paved area there are no environmental resources present to be impacted by the Project. The Project is proposing to install a 617-HP natural gas engine and pump with capacity to produce 750 gallons per minute at Booster Station No. 1 which would provide redundancy to the existing pumps. Therefore, the new 617-HP gas engine and pump would ensure CLAWA can meet peak water demand in the event one of the existing pumps is out of service. Thus, the Project does not alter the existing capacity at the WTP. Since the Project is proposed within and area that has been previously developed and would not increase existing pumping capacity the Project is consistent with the exemption set forth in State CEQA Guidelines §15061(b)(3)).