State Water Project: Aging Infrastructure
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STATE OF CALIFORNIA Budget Change Proposal - Cover Sheet DF-46 (REV 10/20) Fiscal Year Business Unit Department Priority No. 2021-22 3860 Water Resources Budget Request Name Program Subprogram 3860-016-BCP-2021-GB 3240 Budget Request Description State Water Project: Aging Infrastructure Budget Request Summary This proposal requests authority for a total of 150 permanent full-time positions funded by the State Water Project (SWP) to be phased in over four years as follows: 67 positions in 2021-22; 35 positions in 2022-23; 32 positions in 2023-24; and 16 positions in 2024-25; to address the following State Water Project initiatives: On-Going Maintenance, Asset Management/Maintenance Management and Affordability, Engineering & Technical, California Aqueduct Subsidence and Emergency Action Planning, emergency preparedness, and physical security enhancements. Requires Legislation Code Section(s) to be Added/Amended/Repealed ☐ Yes ☒ No Does this BCP contain information technology Department CIO Date (IT) components? ☐ Yes ☒ No If yes, departmental Chief Information Officer must sign. For IT requests, specify the project number, the most recent project approval document (FSR, SPR, S1BA, S2AA, S3SD, S4PRA), and the approval date. Project No.Click or tap here to enter text.Project Approval Document: Approval Date: If proposal affects another department, does other department concur with proposal? ☐ Yes ☐ No Attach comments of affected department, signed and dated by the department director or designee. Prepared By Date Reviewed By Date Coe Hall 12/30/2020 Duard MacFarland 1/6/2021 Department Director Date Agency Secretary Date Kathie Kishaba 1/6/2021 Amanda Martin 1/6/2021 Department of Finance Use Only Additional Review: ☐ Capital Outlay ☐ ITCU ☐ FSCU ☐ OSAE ☐ Dept. of Technology PPBA Date submitted to the Legislature Sergio Aguilar 1/8/2021 Analysis of Problem A. Budget Request Summary The Department of Water Resources (DWR)requests authority for a total of 150 permanent full-time positions funded by the State Water Project (SWP) to be phased in over four years as follows: 67 positions in 2021-22; 35 positions in 2022-23; 32 positions in 2023-24; and 16 positions in 2024-25; to address the following State Water Project initiatives: On-Going Maintenance, Asset Management/Maintenance Management and Affordability, Engineering & Technical, California Aqueduct Subsidence and Emergency Action Planning , emergency preparedness, and physical security enhancements. This request addresses specific DWR actions included in the Governor’s Water Resilience Portfolio, which prioritizes the rehabilitation of infrastructure damaged by subsidence and the implementation of risk-informed asset management plans for critical SWP infrastructure: • Proposal 19.3 (subsidence rehabilitation of critical infrastructure) and • Proposal 19.5 (risk-informed asset management plans for critical SWP infrastructure). These new actions require dedicated staff to perform new functions in addition to existing SWP program activities. The proposed positions will provide DWR with the resources and means to: Increase maintenance, refurbishment, repair, and replacement of aging infrastructure which is required to continue to meet the demands of the SWP and support the increased flexibility being requested to support water resiliency. Continue to develop and implement DWR’s Asset Management Program which optimizes, prioritizes and financially plans for projects to address aging infrastructure based on risk; enhance condition assessment and maintenance programs, and facilitate increased design, construction and inspection projects for an aging infrastructure. Perform studies, expand existing maintenance and facility inspections, execute preventative design and construction efforts, develop new or update existing guidelines and standards, adopt new technologies and system enhancements, Continue to address the adverse effects of subsidence along the SWP by implementing design, environmental permitting, and construction activities that will optimize resiliency and improve operational flexibility of the SWP as well as support safe and reliable delivery of water. Implement new Dam Safety Emergency Action Planning (EAP), emergency preparedness, and physical security enhancements. To respond timely, safely, and cost effectively to urgent or emergency work as defined by Public Contract Code §10122 et. seq. and other Executive, Legislative, or Regulatory mandates. B. Background/History Managed by DWR, the SWP is the largest state-built, multi-purpose water project in the United States, and one of the largest in the world. SWP funding was authorized by the California Legislature in 1959 and approved by voters in 1960 through the Burns-Porter Act. The Burns-Porter Act expressly authorized the State of California to enter into contracts for the sale, delivery, or use of the water made available by the State Water Resources Development System (California Water Code [CWC] 12937(b)). In return for the state financing, constructing, operating, and maintaining the facilities needed to provide water service, the 29 public water agencies contractually agreed to pay all associated SWP capital and operating costs including the 1.75 billion in bonds used to construct the SWP facilities. The resources in this request will be funded pursuant to CWC 12937 (b). DWR is an integral part of that growth through water delivery, pumping and hydroelectric plants operation, water movement and storage, and operation of dams up and down California. 1 California communities developed near SWP infrastructure due to the flood protection and water security the infrastructure provides. The infrastructure requires continuous maintenance, refurbishment and upgrades to meet the growing demands for water supply, clean energy, and flood protection under increased pressures of climate change. The SWP provides a supplemental water supply to approximately 27 million Californians and 750,000 acres of irrigated farmland. Seventy percent of SWP water goes to urban users and thirty percent to agriculture. The system conveys an annual average of 2.6 million acre-feet of water to 29 public agencies that purchase SWP water for distribution within their respective areas. The system’s facilities include 35 storage facilities, reservoirs and lakes; 21 pumping plants; 4 pumping- generating plants; 5 hydroelectric power plants; and more than 700 miles aqueducts, canals, tunnels, and pipelines, the highest pumping lift in the United States, Edmonston Pumping Plant, and the tallest dam in the nation, Oroville Dam. The system also provides flood control, hydroelectric power generation, recreational opportunities and ecosystem enhancements. Along the San Luis Field Division and San Joaquin Field Division, portions of the aqueduct were built to control subsidence. Canal embankments and structures were originally built higher to accommodate future subsidence. However, some canal embankments had to be raised in the 80’s and 90’s. During the 2014 to 2017 drought there was a vertical change of 2.75 feet and at least a 20 percent conveyance capacity reduction. As subsidence settlement continues, there will be a significant reduction of flow capacity (cfs), loss of operational flexibility, increased costs to deliver water, more Aqueduct failures, and reduced ability to utilize renewable energy sources. As part of the California Aqueduct Subsidence program, efforts have been taken to identify where subsidence is impacting the SWP, how much it is impacting water deliveries and what the near- and long-term solutions are. This includes evaluating 50 years of precise surveys and working with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to monitor and assess rates of subsidence using satellite mapping; conducting research and hydraulic modeling and assessing impacts to SWP structures and operations; and identifying, evaluating and selecting remediation alternatives as well as evaluating potential areas of future subsidence. The failure of the Oroville Dam Flood Control Spillway in February 2017 highlighted the importance of committing sufficient resources to inspect, assess conditions, set priorities, meet regulatory compliance obligations, and maintain the SWP including its regulated dams and approximately 700 miles of aqueducts, canals, tunnels and pipelines. Of the 26 regulated dams, 22 are under the jurisdiction of the State Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD), with 11 of those also under the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The remaining four dams are part of the state/federal San Luis Joint Use Facilities and are owned by the United States Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation). In compliance with DSOD and FERC regulations, DWR’s Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Dam Safety Services (DSS) convenes an independent consulting board (Board), on 5 -year cycles to review dam performance data and operation and maintenance records, participate in comprehensive inspections, and produce a report of categorized findings and recommendations. The recommendations typically require follow-up actions that are undertaken and managed by DSS. FERC and DSOD also participate in the conduct of these Boards. Subsequent to each Board meeting, DSS develops the scope of work, schedule, budget, and resources needed to address each of the findings and recommendations. Each scope of work can range in complexity from minor assessments to major dam alterations. Major alterations could include seismic remediation of dam foundations,