Redundant Water Supply (RWS) Project
For nearly 30 years, SVPSD has tried to find a back-up source of water for the Olympic Valley should there be an emergency situation where the existing water supply is not available. In 2009, a District report completed by ECO:LOGIC Engineering (now Stantec) concluded that Martis Valley was a feasible alternative for a redundant water supply (see SVPSD – Alternative/Supplemental Water Supply and Enhanced Utilities Feasibility Study, September 29, 2009). There were other alternatives studied in these following reports: Aquifer Storage and Recovery Study, Water Treatment Plant Process and Siting study.
A series of meta-analyses of these same water supply source(s) was completed in RWS Phase I and available in the report published November 6, 2014: Phase I: Water Supply Feasibility Summary & Gap Analysis. Review of the practicable sources of a RWS were re-evaluated by Farr West Engineering and are available in the report published February 24, 2015: Phase II: Evaluation of Water Supply Source(s) Identified in Gap Analysis. The Phase III work included the 2015 Feasibility Study Update, published on November 10, 2015 and identified a preferred alternative which was published December 21, 2015 in the Final Summary Memorandum.
This project, as all municipal projects in California, will be subject to environmental and public review under the requirements of CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act). Public notices will be distributed and posted in area media outlets when the environmental review process commences. Please check this page for updates and the expected time period for CEQA.
Redundant Water Supply History
- September 29, 2009 – SVPSD–Alternative/Supplemental Water Supply and Enhance Utilities Feasibility Study published
- September 2013 – District awards a single-phase contract to evaluate possible redundant water supply alternatives to Farr West Engineering.
- October 2013 – In response to public concern, District nullifies single-phase contract and re-commissions a three-phase contract to evaluate possible redundant water supply alternatives. Reports to be published to contain the following:
- Phase I includes a summary of historical water supply investigations, including identifying under-investigated or under-evaluated options for additional analysis in Phase I.
- Phase II re-evaluates all water supply options identified in Phase I and perform feasibility analyses of under-evaluated options.
- Phase III identifies a preferred project alternative for a redundant water supply source.
- November 6, 2014 - RWS-PAE Phase I Technical Memo (Water Supply Feasibility Summary and Gap Analysis) is published in final form.
- February 24, 2015 - RWS-PAE Phase II Tecnical Memo (Evaluation of Water Supply Source(s) Identfied in Gap Analysis) is published in final form.
- November 10, 2015 - RWS-PAE Phase III 2015 Feasibility Study Update is published in final form.
- December 21, 2015 - RWS-PAE Phase III Summary Memorandum is published in final form.
Documents relevant to the Redundant Water Supply Project:
- SVPSD Redundant Water Supply - Preferred Alternative Evaluation - Board Report and Scope of Work, October 29, 2013
- Redundant Water Supply Tahoe Sierra Integrated Regional Water Management Grant Application (Project 60), January 17, 2014
- SVPSD Redundant Water Supply Project Phase I - Board Report, February 25, 2014
- Sierra Watch Letter to IRWM Regarding Project 60, June 27, 2014
- Water Supply Feasibility Summary and Gap Analysis (RWS-PAE Phase I Technical Memo), November 7, 2014
- SVPSD Board Report re: Redundant Water Supply Project Phase I, November 21, 2014
- Evaluation of Water Supply Source(s) Identified in Gap Analysis (RWS-PAE Phase II Technical Memo), February 24, 2015
- SVPSD Redundant Water Supply Project Phase III - Board Report - Feasibility Study Update, September 29, 2015
- SVPSD Redundant Water Supply Project Phase III - Board Report - Preliminary Alternatives Evaluation, November 7, 2015
- SVPSD Redundant Water Supply Project Phase III - Board Report and Project Description, January 26, 2016
Articles and responses related to the Redundant Water Supply Project
- March 30, 2016, Opinion: Squaw Valley:Plenty of Snow-Not Enough Water, by Tom Mooers, Sierra Sun: Plenty of Snow-Not Enough Water
- December 13, 2013, Squaw Valley Eyes Martis Valley’s Water, by Melissa Sig, Moonshine Ink: Squaw Valley Eyes Martis Valley's Water
- January 10, 2014, Opinion: Squaw Valley’s Redundant Water Supply, by Mike Geary, Moonshine Ink: Squaw Valley's Redundant Water Supply
- February 13, 2014, Squaw Continues Search for Another Water Source, by Margaret Moran, Sierra Sun: Squaw Continues Search for Another Water Source
- February 14, 2014, Martis Water and Squaw Development by Tom Mooers, Sierra Watch News: Martis Water and Squaw Development?
- March 14, 2014, Mountain Area Preservation, Moonshine Ink: Mountain Area Preservation Advertisement
- September 12, 2014, Opinion: Squaw Valley: Water, Water Everywhere, by Tom Mooers, Moonshine Ink: Squaw Valley: Water, Water Everywhere
- April 30, 2015, Opinion: Squaw Development May Profoundly Impact Tahoe-Truckee, by Tom Mooers, Sierra Sun:Squaw Development May Profundly Impact Tahoe-Truckee
- May 7, 2015, Opinion: Just the Facts from the Squaw Valley PSD, by Mike Geary, Sierra Sun: Just the Facts from the Squaw Valley PSD
- District Newsletters: Winter 2014 (Water In Squaw), Winter 2015 (RWS), Summer 2015 (RWS), Winter 2016 (RWS)