Westhaven Community Services District and City of Trinidad Emergency Intertie

Westhaven Community Services District and City of Trinidad Emergency Intertie

Project Title: Westhaven Community Services District and City of Trinidad Emergency Intertie Project Applicant: Westhaven Community Services District Project Location - City: City of Trinidad and town of Westhaven Project Location – County: Humboldt. Description of Nature, Purpose and Beneficiaries of Project: The purpose of the project is to establish an emergency water source for the City of Trinidad or the Westhaven Community Services District in the event that either water provider has an emergency interruption to its water supply. The purpose of this project is NOT to establish new water services to private property. Name of Public Agency Approving the Project: County of Humboldt, City of Trinidad, and Westhaven CSD Name of Person or Agency Carrying Out Project: Westhaven Community Services District (WCSD) Project Summary: Construction of an emergency intertie pipeline within the existing rights-of-way and travel way of Westhaven Drive to connect the City of Trinidad’s Water Treatment Plant (WTP) and the WCSD’s water distribution system. The proposed project would include approximately 0.4 miles (or 2,112 feet) of 8-inch C-900 polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe connecting the distribution systems of the two agencies. Additionally, the installation of an emergency pump station and three flushing hydrants. The estimated length of the construction period is 8-12 weeks, beginning no earlier than March 15 and ending no later than December 15, and during construction will not occur on weekends. One lane traffic control using a County approved traffic control plan would be used in areas where water mains cross under the road. At no point during the project would any roads be completely closed to through traffic. Exempt Status: Project is exempt under Public Resources Code (PRC) Section 21080.21; CEQA Guidelines Sections 15301(e), 15303(d), and 15304(f). Reasons why the Project is exempt: Public Resources Code Section 21080.21: this division [of CEQA] does not apply to any project of less than one mile in length within a public street or highway or any other public right-of-way for the installation of a new pipeline or the maintenance, repair, restoration, reconditioning, relocation, replacement, removal, or demolition of an existing pipeline. For purposes of this section, "pipeline" includes subsurface facilities but does not include any surface facility related to the operation of the underground facility. • The proposed intertie connection is designed to be located within the Humboldt County public road right of way for Westhaven Drive • The project includes the installation of a new pipeline for emergency water supply purposes that extends approximately 0.4 miles (less than one mile) from the end of the Westhaven CSD water system located within roadway adjacent to 980 Westhaven Drive (APN 515-061-009) to the City of Trinidad water treatment plant. 1 CEQA Guidelines 15301(e): Additions to existing structures provided that the addition will not result in an increase of more than: (1) 50 percent of the floor area of the structures before the addition, or 2,500 square feet, whichever is less; or (2) 10,000 square feet if: (A) The project is in an area where all public services and facilities are available to allow for maximum development permissible in the General Plan and (B) The area in which the project is located is not environmentally sensitive. • The project involves the installation of an emergency pump station at the City of Trinidad water treatment plant. Due to the differences in tank elevations, water may need to be pumped from either Trinidad or Westhaven. The proposed pump station would be manually enabled and will include fail-safe emergency shutdown controls. The locations of the project components are in road shoulder comprised of base rock, and streamside vegetation and native soils are no longer present. No riparian vegetation is present in the construction area and all construction adjacent to the streams will occur within the preexisting roadbed and shoulder. CEQA Guidelines 15303(d): (New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures consists of construction and location of limited numbers of new, small facilities or structures; 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. The numbers of structures described in this section are the maximum allowable on any legal parcel.) Water main, sewage, electrical, gas, and other utility extensions, including street improvements, of reasonable length to serve such construction. • The project involves the installation of three flushing hydrants within the existing road shoulder. CEQA Guidelines 15304(f): (Minor alterations in the condition of land, water, and/or vegetation which do not involve removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees except for forestry or agricultural purposes) Minor trenching and backfilling where the surface is restored. • The project involves the installation of three flushing hydrants within the existing road shoulder. WCSD has further determined that the use of the categorical exemption is not barred by any of the exceptions set forth in CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2. The material supporting the above finding is on file with WCSD and available for review upon request at the address listed below. Specifically: 1. The repairs would not result in cumulative impacts. 2. There are not unusual circumstances that create a reasonable possibility that the project will have a significant effect on the environment. 3. The project would not impact scenic resources. 4. The project site is not located on a site which is included on any list compiled pursuant to Section 65962.5 of the Government Code. 5. The project would not cause a substantial adverse change to the significance of a historic structure.

Trinidad, Unicorporated area south of Trinidad

Humboldt

Countywide, Northern California, Unincorporated

Humboldt