KCWA's ID4 Expansion Plans Approved!
At a special meeting on March 10, 2008 the Urban Bakersfield Advisory Committee (UBAC) of the Kern County Water Agency voted to recommend approval to the Agency's Board of Directors to move ahead with the $80 million expansion plans for the Henry C. Garnett Water Purification Plant, more commonly known as the Improvement District (ID4) Treatment Plant.
The plant is located near the intersection of Airport Drive and Highway 99. Plans have been underway to expand the plants treatment capacity, over a period of time from the current level of 25,000 acre feet (a/f) per year to more than double, at 53,000 a/f per year. North of the River Municipal Water District signed a contract with the Agency in September of 2005 increasing the allotment for the Oildale Community from 8,500 to 15,000 a/f per year, with 12,000 a/f of wholesale water going to Oildale Mutual Water Company and 3,000 a/f for NOR's retail customers. The balance of the plants production is contracted to East Niles Community Water Service, City of Bakersfield, and Calif. Water Service.
The pumping capacity of the plant's treated water pump station serving the Oildale Community will be expanded to 21 million gallons a day to handle the increased production. NORMWD presently receives its allocation through the “North Feeder Line,” a 27” pipeline installed in 1977, delivering water to turnouts along the way and the excess into storage reservoirs at the 600 foot elevation site on Seventh Standard Road. In order to accommodate the increased production from the plant, a second 27” pipeline paralleling the existing 27” line for the first 4000 feet will be constructed. This will reduce the power loss from friction and increase the flow into turnouts delivering water to OMWC and NOR customers.
The total projected cost of the plant's expansion is expected to be $135,000,000 with completion in 2010. The cost for NOR's portion of the expansion, which also includes a larger electrical sub-station, a 1 megawatt photovoltaic facility, increased capacity within the Cross Valley Canal, and several other related projects, is about $32,679,000 with the loan repayment spread over 30 years. These improvements, with the addition of the new pump and Waukesha gas engine at the District's 600 Site pump station, will ensure a safe and reliable water supply with sufficient capacity during summer peak periods for the foreseeable future.
Work on new pump and engine at NOR’s 600 Site Pump Station was officially completed March 10, 2008.
Everett Clinton and contractor Mel Madruga make last minute adjustments to the new pump engine.
A new booster pump and engine, located at North of the River Municipal Water District’s 600 Site on Seventh Standard Rd., was installed by District personnel, to better serve the Oildale Community. Original plans had called for a separate pump station and a new building, but due to what was believed to be excessive costs to construct, all bids were rejected, and the project modified. The new booster pump and engine were installed within the same building as the two 75 year old pump engines, which will now assume stand-by status.
Water from the Kern County Water agency’s ID4 Water Treatment Plant is received into two 4.5 million gallon storage reservoirs at the 600 foot elevation site. Water from these reservoirs serves both OMWC and NORMWD customers by providing gravity water pressure to the 600 Pressure Zone customers. The new pump and engine will deliver water from this location to reservoirs at two other district storage sites located at higher elevations (750 and 900 feet). The new Waukesha engine and pump will have the capability of moving over 7000 gallons of water per minute to provide service for customers served by these higher elevation pressure zones.
The new pump installation was deemed necessary because of concerns about the reliability and age of the current engines, and increased water demand. Original cost estimates were expected to be about $1.35 million but the low bid was over $2.4 million. It was decided to perform much of the work by district employees.
Bill Miller, the District’s General Manager, said, “Combining the new system into the existing station and having the project completed by our work crew with some sub-contracted help saved over a million dollars for the District, and it’s customers.”
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