Sonoma County Grand Jury • 2018-2019 • Agency Response
Response to: Final Consolidated Grand Jury Report

Finding F5 Consistent with Fema recommendations, residents need to maintain their own emergency

Published: December 31, 2019 17 pages
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Note: Missing finding numbers detected: F8

Findings and Recommendations 8 findings

F1 Page 5
Sonoma County relies primarily on the Russian River for drinking woter which may be disrupted in the event ol a major earthquoke. Resoonse: Sonoma Water agrees with this finding The Russian River is the primary source of drinking water for much of Sonoma County, including the predominant portion of the most urbanized areas of the County. There are multiple public water systems whose water supply is reliant on the Russian River, and in the event of a major earthquake, temporary service disruptions could occur. The public should anticipate the possibility of service disruptions and make appropriate preparations in advance. To assist the public in this regard, Sonoma Water will be collaborating with the water contractors and appropriate emergency management entities to develop and make available consistent guidance. As a point of clarification, it should be noted also that a significant segment of the County population is not reliant on the Russian River for its drinking water supply and instead relies upon groundwater sources, for which the susceptibility to the effects of a major earthquake could vary. Non-Russian River water users are generally those users who: (1) are not located along the Russian River corridor, or (2) do not receive water from Sonoma Water or its water contractors.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
Page 10
Sonoma Water review and establish viable options lor accelerating how rapidly the highest-priority mitigation meosures ore being funded and implemented, by December 37, 2079. Response: The recommendation has not yet been implemented, but will be implemented in the future. Sonoma Water fully supports efforts to implement seismic hazard mitigation measures, including acceleration of the highest-priority measures identified in its Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP). Since 2003, Sonoma Water has diligently pursued identification of its water supply system's potential vulnerabilities to major earthquakes, as well as flood, wildfire, drought, and a range of other natural hazards. Sonoma Water and its water contractors have made substantial investment in both assessing these vulnerabilities and implementing measurestoreducetheriskofserviceoutages. ln2OOT,SonomaWatercompletedanexhaustivescience-based Natural Hazard Reliability Assessment of its water transmission system, identifying numerous mitigation measures to address potential vulnerabilities, including measures to address ten (10) of the highest priority vulnerabilities that posed the greatest risk to the ability to provide continuous wholesale water supply service during and after a major earthquake. These highest seismic risk priority measures were included in Sonoma Water's 2008 LHMP. This comprehensive assessment was conducted in coordination with Sonoma Water's contractors. As discussed further below, Sonoma Water engaged the water contractors in a long-term financial planning process to discuss the priorities for various projects associated with: (1) addressing risk from natural hazards (seismic and floodind, Ql maintenance, (3) compliance with the 2008 Biological Opinion for water supply operations on the Russian River, issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service ("Biological Opinion"), and other regulatory requirements, and (4) meeting future water demand. While not all risk can be feasibly eliminated, to date, Sonoma Water has expended significant funding to complete or initiate several of the highest priority projects as described below: a ln 2013, Sonoma Water completed construction of the Santa Rosa Aqueduct Crossing at Rodgers Creek Fault - the single highest priority project identified in the LHMP. This project was designed to reduce the risk of pipeline rupture at the one location where Sonoma Water's transmission system is traversed by the Rodgers Creek Fault. a ln2OL4, Sonoma Water completed ground improvements for the River Diversion System (RDS) to protect against the damaging effects of seismically-induced liquefaction in the vicinity of the production pumping facilities along the Russian River. 7 a ln20L7, Sonoma Water completed construction of the isolation valves project, whereby Sonoma Water has enhanced the resiliency of the water transmission system and lowered the potential for uncontrolled releases of water by increasing the points of isolation in the system - allowing greater opportunity to isolate damaged portions of the system more rapidly, reducing damage, and restoring service in timely fashion following an earthqua ke. a Several other of these highest priority projects are in progress. Designs and environmental compliance work have been completed to a 90% stage for two (2) Russian River-Cotati lntertie mitigation projects for aqueduct crossings at the Russian River and Mark West Creek to reduce the risk of liquefaction induced damage to this aqueduct. The design of the Santa Rosa Creek crossing project has also recently commenced this year. All three of these high priority seismic mitigation projects are scheduled to complete construction by 202L. a Measures have also been initiated with the implementation of the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMl) project to enhance Sonoma Wate/s real-time flow monitoring capabilities at selected service turnouts along the transmission system. lmproved flow monitoring at key turnouts will ultimately allow Sonoma Water to more rapidly assess where earthquake damage may be more prevalent within its service area and thus better inform operational decisions and priorities following an earthquake event. a lnitial planning efforts to address liquefaction related vulnerabilities to three identified collector well facilities (Collectors 3, 5, and 6) have been conducted, revealing that no feasible options are readily identifiable and additional alternatives need to be evaluated. Sonoma Water, in coordination with the water contractors, is currently initiating a broader regional water supply reliability study that will consider how this and other natural hazard vulnerabilities may be mitigated across Sonoma Water's service area. o ln addition to these highest priority projects, other efforts have also been implemented or are currently proceeding to further protect Sonoma Water's ability to reliably supply water following a major natural hazard event. Seismic retrofits at Sonoma Booster Pump Station #1 and Ralphine Tanks, installation of a standby power generator at Sonoma Wate/s administrative building, and electrical resiliency upgrades at the Ely Booster Pump Station are some of these additional measures currently being pursued. As previously mentioned, many of these highest priority seismic mitigation projects have advanced with substantial funding support from federal hazard mitigation grants administered through FEMA. Since the development of the first LHMP in 2008, Sonoma Water has successfully competed to secure over S12 million in FEMAgrantfundstoimplementnaturalhazardmitigationprojects. Another55.T6millionhasbeenconditionally awarded pending completion of federal environmental compliance regulations, and an additional 55.8 million has received California OES recommendations for FEMA funding, and is currently pending FEMA approval. Of this nearly Sz+ million in hazard mitigation grant funding, more than half (approx. Stg mitlion) specifically addresses improvements to the water supply system to mitigate the risk of damage resulting from a major earthquake. Additional local funding, derived from the sale of water, is used to complement the grant funds. FEMA typically requires this local "match" funding to be no less than 25% of the Brant amount. Priorto commencing any of the hazard mitigation measures identified in the original LHMP, Sonoma Waterand the water contractors weighed options for funding the implementation of seismic hazard mitigation projects in 8 conjunction with other necessary programs. Funding options regarding seismic hazard mitigation projects were considered and discussed with the water contractors through the Water Advisory Committee (WAC) and the consensus amongst Sonoma Water and the water contractors was to pursue grant funding as the primary basis for funding. This approach balanced the need for seismic mitigation projects with the need for other projects, such as regulatory required projects to comply with the Biological Opinion, as well as other operational needs affecting water rates. Sonoma Water appreciates the Grand Jury's acknowledgment of the successes of this program and the benefits it has provided toward helping to reduce seismic related risks to our region's water supply. Sonoma Water also acknowledges that while the program has made significant strides toward seismic risk reduction forthe highest priority projects, progress has not kept pace with the initialimplementation schedule identified in the LHMP. The technical complexities and increased costs of these projects, combined with the uncertainties of grant funding schedules have added to the schedule challenges. Notwithstanding these challenges, Sonoma Water supports the Grand Jury's recommendation to review options for accelerating the funding and implementation of the seismic mitigation projects. ln addition, Sonoma Water is nearing completion of a Climate Adaptation Plan which, similar to the aforementioned Natural Hazard Reliability Assessment, will result in the identification of the highest priority climate-risk vulnerabilities (i.e., wildfires, drought, flood, and sea-level rise) and corresponding mitigation projects to reduce these risks. Sonoma Water believes that these mitigation projects should also be included in updating overall project priorities assessment. As most options for increasing funding are likely to rely to some degree upon more significant water rate increases into the future, close coordination with the water contractors is essential to establish feasibility. ln support of the Grand Jury's recommendation, Sonoma Water will present options for accelerating the highest priority seismic risks hazard mitigation projects to the WAC's Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) during preparation of the Fiscal Year 20/2t budget. Additional time beyond the Grand Jury's recommended date is required based on the annual budget schedule for the water transmission system. To be completed
F2 Page 5
Sonomo County relies primarily on d single wholesale provider for its water. Sonoma Water, which delivers woter under contract to cities ond water districts in Sonoma County and northern Marin County, may be without sufficient resources to meet all emergency needs. Response: Sonoma Water agrees with this finding. Sonoma Water provides wholesale drinking water from the Russian River to approximately 600,000 customers and businesses in Sonoma and Marin Counties. Sonoma Water's service area generally covers much of the urbanized portions of these counties and provides a significant portion of the water supply for the predominant majority of the resident population. The water supply for customers who receive their drinking water from the cities of Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Cotati, Petaluma, Sonoma, Town of Windsor as well as Valley of the Moon, 2 North Marin, and Marin Municipal Water Districts, and a limited number of other surplus customers, is wholly or partially reliant on Sonoma Wate/s infrastructure for water delivery. Though Sonoma Water is implementing measures to protect its infrastructure to ensure continued water service, temporary service disruptions could occur following a major earthquake. Not all risk can be feasibly eliminated, but Sonoma Water is well prepared to make repairs and restore service in a timely manner for an array of potential damage incidents. For a severe earthquake event, the extent of damage could however exceed Sonoma Water's capacity and available resources to make timely repairs. Under these circumstances, Sonoma Water is prepared to draw upon external resources to assist in the restoration of water service to minimize the duration and potential for extended service disruptions. Vendor resources and/or resources provided by other governmental entities and associations, such as California Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (CaIWARN), California Utility Emergency Association, and through California's Master Mutual Aid Act are some of the external resources Sonoma Water would engage to accelerate the restoration of water service. ln addition, Sonoma Water is currently engaged with the water contractors in evaluating natural hazard vulnerabilities and associated risk mitigation at a regional scale. The Regional Water Supply Resiliency Study, currently underway, will seek to identify potential opportunities to coordinate water supply operations and sharewaterresourceswithandamongthewatercontractorsaspartofdisasterresponse. Theabilitytooptimize the management of regional resources to benefit local communities will only decrease reliance on the other aforementioned third party resources for restoring water service following a major earthquake.
No recommendations for this finding
F3 Page 6
ln the event ol o major earthquake, water supplies are likely to be significantly disrupted for extended periods of doys or weeks, although reduced water supplies mdy be provided through alternative meons. Full recovery of systems could toke longer. Response: Sonoma Water agrees with this finding. A massive seismic event will likely result in significant damage and thus service interruptions for any water system (or any infrastructure for that matter). While the timing of occurrence, location and duration of such events and resulting extended service disruptions cannot be forecasted or predicted, we agree there is potential for extended outages and/or periods of impaired water supply following a major earthquake. The risk of extended service disruption is not anticipated for less severe earthquakes. For catastrophic circumstances resulting from severe earthquakes, Sonoma Water would rely not only on its internal and regional resources, but also state, federal and potentially international mutual aid resources for interim emergency health and safety water supply until the necessary system repairs can be made.
No recommendations for this finding
F4 Page 6
Medsures implemented by Sonoma Woter to reduce the risk of critical water shortages following a mojor earthquake have relied heavily upon state and federol grant funds, but implementation has fallen behind the 3 schedules proposed in the LHMP. A more rapid reduction of risks could be achieved through wdter rdte adjustments, Response: Sonoma Water disagrees partially with this finding. Sonoma Water's implementation of seismic hazard mitigation projects identified in our Local Hazard Mitigation Plan has since 2008 predominantly relied upon grant funding provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), administered through the California Office of Emergency Services (California OES). The availability of funds is not always certain and can vary depending on a number of factors. When funds are available, grants are awarded on a competitive basis. Sonoma Water has been highly successful in securing grant funds to implement multiple seismic hazard mitigation projects. However, the schedule of funding availability, the selection of candidate projects, and the completion of federal environmental compliance documentation by FEMA are just some of the factors that increase the uncertainty of implementation schedules for projects that rely on this funding. Water rate adjustments is one approach that may provide opportunity to implement seismic risk reduction measures more rapidly by reducing the uncertainty of funding availability and timing. However, funding uncertainty is not the only factor that can affect implementation of seismic mitigation measures. Many of these projects are often reliant on other processes that can contribute to delays, such as the need to secure and comply with multiple permits, comply with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), acquire right-of-way, and prioritize among numerous other important risk mitigation projects (e.g. regulatory, climate, aging infrastructure, etc.)
No recommendations for this finding
F5 Page 7
Consistent with FEMA recommenddtions, residents need to maintain their own emergency source ol water to meet their personal needs for more than the three doys frequently stated by officials. Response: Sonoma Water agrees with this finding Currently, FEMA emergency preparedness websites such as www.readv.gov and federal publications on disaster readiness still recommend to individuals and families a minimum of three days of food and water in their personal disaster kits. Sonoma Water agrees consistent public outreach and education is needed to help our community prepare for longer than72 hours.
No recommendations for this finding
F6 Page 7
More public outreach is needed to educate water users to their risks and individual responsibility lor ea rthqua ke pre pa red ness. Response: Sonoma Water agrees with this
Related Recommendations (1)
R6
Page 14
Sonoma Water prepare ond mointdin one or more SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) lor the restorotion of water deliveries specifically for on earthquoke; SOPs should be updated annually or whenever there ore changes to procedures, by December 37, 2019. (Fg) Response: The recommendation has notyet been implemented, but will be implemented in the future. Sonoma Water has developed over thirty emergency response plans and procedures that guide emergency response and recovery efforts. Some guide response to a specific facility or type of disaster while others are 1.L broad in nature and intended to apply to all hazards, as recommended by FEMA and California OES. These plans guide response to localized emergencies at Sonoma Water, as wells as, Sonoma Water's response to larger, less frequent disasters impacting the county or region. The importance of these emergency plans and their continuous improvement is reflected in Sonoma Water's culture, strategic plans, budgeting, and dedicated staffing resources. The cross training of field staff described in our
F7 Page 8
Coordination between Sonoma Water ond its contractors needs to improve by increasing training exercises, mutual oid training, ond systems informotion exchange. Response: Sonoma Water agrees with this finding Sonoma Water is committed to supporting local and regional communities and partnering agencies during emergency response to disasters. Sonoma Water's commitment to building emergency capabilities during emergencies is reflected in our partnerships, trainings, exercises, and mutual aid deployments. Trainings hosted by Sonoma Water are open to other local governments and invitations to participate are sent to the water contractors. Sonoma Water has provided mutual aid staff and equipment resources during the 2015 Valley Wildfire in Lake County, the 2018 Mendocino Complex wildfires, and during the 2017 October Complex Wildfires Sonoma Water provided mutual aid staff and equipment resources to County of Sonoma emergency operations and to the City of Santa Rosa Water Department during response and recovery. Mutual aid and requests for assistance are facilitated under the terms of various Sonoma Water emergency mutual aid agreements and associations including California Utility Emergency Association, California Water and Wastewater Agency Response Network, Regional Flood Control mutual aid agreement, and the California Master Mutual Aid Agreement. lncreasing Sonoma Water's local knowledge of water and wastewater mutual aid options and processes may be a desirable area of joint trainings with water contractors. Sonoma Water and the water contractors routinely coordinate on issues related to water supply. Joint efforts with the water contractors, such as the current Regional Water Supply Resiliency Study, is one example of our mutual collaboration. This multi-phase study will enhance the understanding of Sonoma Water and each retailer's system in regards to emergency response operations and resilience to natural hazard events. ln particular, the study will identify associated opportunities for risk mitigation at a regional scale, through shared resources and coordinated operations following a disaster event.
No recommendations for this finding
F9 Page 8
Sonomo Water's planning lor earthquake response, supplies, repairs, and restoration ol wdter depends significantly on institutional repair knowledge concentrated in a few long-term employees, but lacks adequate documentation such as manuals lor standord operoting procedures, Response: Sonoma Water disagrees partially with this finding. The operational and maintenance staff at Sonoma Water are highly skilled and licensed professionals in the water and wastewater industry standards. Under an existing and unique training program, field staff are rotated and cross-trained intentionally to support all the operational, maintenance, and repair needs of both the water and wastewater systems. This cross-training significantly enhances Sonoma Water's flexibility and capability to respond to a disaster event. There is a certain dependency however on managers with long term institutional knowledge to plan, coordinate, and manage repairs to the water system. Those processes may lack sufficient documentation and Sonoma Water recognizes this as an opportunity for improvement.
No recommendations for this finding