Graham Hill Water Treatment Plant Facility Improvements Project –Environmental Services during Construction

The SCWD is a public agency operating a water system which provides safe, high-quality water service for about 100,000 people. The Graham Hill Water Treatment Plant (GHWTP) is a critical component of the City's water supply system as its only treatment facility capable of treating surface water. It was originally constructed in 1960 and standards and regulations enacted over the intervening 66 years necessitate the Project. The GHWTP is a conventional treatment plant treating raw water from the San Lorenzo River, north coast streams and Loch Lomond Reservoir. The Water Treatment Plant must remain fully operational throughout construction. The Project will be constructed at the existing GHWTP, a secured and fenced facility closed to the public, located at 715 Graham Hill Road in Santa Cruz, CA. The 12.4-acre parcel is within City limits; however, it is non-contiguous to the City and hence constitutes an "island annexation" surrounded by parcels in the unincorporated County. The GHWTP parcel is located in the upper portion of a large west-facing slope adjacent to the San Lorenzo River. The majority of the existing and proposed building areas on the GHWTP parcel are situated on an upper building pad, surrounded by undeveloped portions of the parcel. Single-family residential land uses surround the GHWTP parcel on the northern, eastern, and southern perimeters. Dense tree canopy and vegetation, and scattered residential dwellings are located beyond the western perimeter on a hillside that slopes down to the San Lorenzo River, approximately 0.3 miles to the west of the Project. The Project may also utilize a temporary construction staging area located at 1941 Ocean Street Extension in Santa Cruz, CA and services under this RFQ/RFP process may be required at both the primary construction site and offsite staging. The Project will replace and substantially upgrade the majority of the existing water treatment processes and associated infrastructure with modern facilities. The Project will increase the City's treatment reliability to meet current and anticipated future water quality requirements; support the treatment of wet season water to facilitate implementation of the City's Water Supply Augmentation Strategy and Securing Our Water Future Policy; improve the ability to treat variable and degraded source water quality conditions, such as those associated with post-wildfire, severe storms, and droughts; and meet current seismic, building, electrical, and fire code requirements.