HomeMy Public PortalAbout4k-UtilitiesNOVEMBER 2008 TRUCKEE RAILYARD DRAFT MASTER PLAN EIR
IV. SETTING, IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES
K. UTILITIES
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K. UTILITIES
This section describes the existing utilities which would serve the Plan Area including water,
wastewater, solid waste, electricity, telecommunication and natural gas. This section
includes a discussion of potential impacts, and mitigation measures are presented when
necessary. Impacts to the stormwater system are discussed in Section IV.G, Hydrology and
Storm Drainage.
1. Setting
The following section describes the existing utilities, capacities, and expansion possibilities.
Additionally, regulations and requirements of each utility service are outlined.
a. Water Supply. The following discussion provides background information on the
Town’s sources of water, water treatment, and the water distribution system. It also
summarizes the Town’s General Plan policies related to water supply.
Water service to the Master Plan Area would be provided by the Truckee Donner Public
Utility District (TDPUD). TDPUD operates three water systems in Truckee: the Hirshdale
System, Truckee System and the Lahontan System. The Lahontan System is owned by Placer
County Water Agency (PCWA) and is operated by TDPUD under contract with PCWA. In
addition to the three systems operated by TDPUD, there are two other water systems within
Truckee, Glenshire and Lake systems, which are owned and operated by other districts.
Projects have been underway since 2005 to combine all of these systems into one single
entity under TDPUD.1
TDPUD adopted an Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) in November, 2005.2 TDPUD also
prepared a Water Supply Assessment (WSA) for the proposed project in May 2008, and a
revised WSA in September 2008 (see Appendix F). The Water Supply Assessment and UWMP
provide information on the current water supply, water use on the Plan Area and demand
figures for the proposed project, which are used in this EIR.
According to the 2005 UWMP, average annual water use in the Town of Truckee in 2005 was
6.64 mgd. Town per capita water use has been trending upward for 20 years. Water demand
increased at an average rate of 7.2 percent per year from 1997 through 2001. The demand
greatly increased in 2001 and 2002 because Donner Lake and Glenshire Water systems were
acquired by Truckee Donner Public Utility District at that time.
(1) Water Sources. The TDPUD acquires water from the Martis Valley Ground Water
Basin. This low-lying basin consists of approximately 57 square miles, which is completely
1 Truckee Donner Public Utility District, 2004. Water Systems Master Plan.
2 Truckee Donner Public Utility District, 2005. Urban Water Management Plan.
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contained within the larger watershed of approximately 167 square miles. The Martis Valley
Basin has a total subsurface storage volume of 484,000 acre-feet and is made up of three
aquifers composed of sediments and volcanic deposits nearly 1,000 feet thick.3 Infiltration
from surface water and precipitation supplies the aquifer systems, which in turn feeds the
wetland areas. Annual ground water recharge depends heavily on snowmelt in the late
spring and early summer. The basin-wide annual recharge is estimated at 29,165 AFY (acre
feet per year).4 According to the 2005 UWMP, average annual water use in Truckee was
12.61mgd (million gallons per day).
The TDPUD water system includes 28 pumping stations, 12 active wells and 36 storage
tanks. All potable water demands in the Truckee area are currently served by groundwater
wells, although natural springs have been used to supply water in the past. The total
capacity of the 12 ground water wells is approximately 13.8 mgd.
The majority of the Master Plan Area is occupied by Railroad operations (including the
balloon track and an operation building). Other uses include single-family homes along
Trout Creek Road, Church Street (east) and East River Street and the Truckee Tahoe Lumber
Company. Water from the Northside Tank currently serves the uses on-site.
(2) Water Distribution System. The TDPUD distribution system is relatively complex
due to the varying elevations throughout Truckee. The system includes 36 storage tanks
that are strategically placed throughout the community and water is transported to higher
elevations through a series of 28 pumping stations. TDPUD also maintains 1,530 line valves,
870 fire hydrants, 130 air release valves, 100 blow-off valves and 20 pressure reducing
stations.5
The water distribution system within the Town includes pipes ranging in size from 14-inch
mains down to 2-inch mains. The entire distribution system consists of approximately 195
miles of pipe. Single-family residential uses are charged a flat rate for monthly services.
Unlike single-family units, multi-family units and commercial units are billed monthly based
on individual meter readings.
Water service is currently provided to a small portion of the Master Plan Area. Water is
currently distributed at three locations: a 10-inch pipeline serves properties on Church
Street and terminates near the Truckee Tahoe Lumber Company structures; a 6-inch water
main on the north side of Trout Creek serves residences on Trout Creek Road; and an 8-inch
water main serves properties along East River Street.
3 Truckee Donner Public Utility District, 2005. Urban Water Management Plan.
4 Town of Truckee, 2006. General Plan 2025 Environmental Impact Report. May, 15.
5 Truckee Donner Public Utility District, 2005. Urban Water Management Plan.
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The following Town of Truckee General Plan policies are related to water supply, as well as
waste water, solid waste, natural gas service, electrical service and telecommunications,
which are also discussed in this section:
Policies
P4.1: Work with all special districts, including Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District, to ensure
that development within the Town is coordinated with provision of services.
P.4.2: Cooperate with special districts to plan for and identify suitable future sites for needed
facilities, including schools, fire stations, solid and liquid waste disposal sites, and utilities
infrastructure, so that the local population can be safely and efficiently served, while minimizing
potential environmental impacts.
P4.3: Approve rezoning and development permits only when adequate services are available, or
when a program to provide services has been approved by the applicable District and the Town
of Truckee. Standards of services for new development applicable to this policy are shown in
Table LU-6.
Require that sewer be provided for all new residential subdivisions creating more than four lots,
and all new commercial and industrial uses. Existing legal lots and new subdivisions of four or
fewer lots in areas currently without sewer may be developed with residential uses using septic
systems with the approval of the appropriate health and environmental agencies. Such lots may
be required to establish connections to the sewer system if they are located in close proximity
to existing or future sewer lines.
b. Wastewater. Truckee Sanitary District provides wastewater collection and conveyance
services to the Town. The collection system includes storm sewers and related pumping
facilities. Untreated sewage is piped to Tahoe Truckee Sanitation Agency’s treatment plant
using both gravity flow and lift stations.
(1) Collection and Conveyance System. Within the Master Plan Area, Truckee
Sanitary District provides waste water collection services to developed properties on Church
Street and residences on Trout Creek Road, which are served by a small sewage pump
station that discharges to the gravity main in the vicinity of the lumber yard. The gravity
main flows east under the balloon tracks and connects to the Easter River Street main under
the railroad tracks. The East River Street line crosses over the Truckee River under the
pedestrian bridge and discharges to the Tahoe Truckee Sanitation Agency 36-inch
interceptor.
(2) Wastewater Treatment Facilities. The Tahoe Truckee Sanitary Agency (TTSA)
provides sewage treatment services to the Town and operates the Water Reclamation Plant
(WRP). The WRP was constructed in 1978 and is located adjacent to the Truckee River and
the Truckee-Tahoe Airport. The WRP is a tertiary treatment plant that serves the Town of
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Truckee and much of the California portion of Lake Tahoe.6 TTSA is committed to a policy of
energy and natural resource conservation, with the goal of discharging in the Truckee River
Corridor in such a manner as to retain the integrity of ground and surface waters, while
ensuring the quantity of water downstream was not diminished.7
In 2006, the WRP was expanded to a design capacity of 9.6 million gallons per day (mgd),
which is consistent with the capacity permitted by the RWQCB.8 The WRP treats wastewater
from four districts: North Tahoe and Tahoe City, Alpine Springs County Water District,
Squaw Valley Public Service District and Truckee Sanitation District.
Current estimated waste flow into the WRP for all four the districts served by the WRP is
4.66 mgd. The WRP is currently operating at approximately half of its current capacity.9
The facility is currently in compliance with the water quality requirements of Regional Water
Quality Control Board for the protection of the environmentally sensitive Lake Tahoe and
Truckee River Corridor.
The Truckee General Plan policies listed above also apply to waste water.
c. Solid Waste. Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal Company (TTSD) provides solid waste
removal and recycling services to the Town of Truckee. TTSD is made up of two separate
bodies: Tahoe Truckee Disposal and the Eastern Regional Landfill Material Recovery Facility
(MRF). Tahoe Truckee Disposal collects household waste and recycles and the MRF is the
recycling center for household and construction materials. The MRF acts as a transfer
station, as incoming solid waste is ultimately transported to the Lockwood Regional Landfill.
The Lockwood Regional Landfill is a 1,535-acre site located in Storey, Nevada. This facility
has a 60-year capacity to accommodate the build out of TTSD’s service area. At the time this
EIR was prepared, TTSD is in its eleventh year of an 80-year contract for disposal service
with the landfill.10
The Lockwood Regional Landfill is owned and operated by Waste Management Inc.11 The
landfill is permitted to accept 445 tons of solid waste per day. On average, the landfill
currently receives an average of 220 tons of waste per day.12
6 Town of Truckee, 2006. General Plan Draft EIR. May.
7 Tahoe Truckee Sanitation Agency, http://63.150.38.132/jsp/content.jsp?menuid=53
8 Parker, Jay. 2008. Assistant General Manager/Chief Engineer, Tahoe Truckee Sanitation
District. Personal Communication with RRM Design Group. February 26,
9 Ibid
10 Town of Truckee, 2006. General Plan Draft EIR. May.
11 Waste Management Inc, 2008. Facility/Site Details, Lockwood Regional Landfill.
Website:www.wmdisposal.com/facilities.
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The Truckee General Plan policies listed above also apply to solid waste.
d. Telecommunications and Cable. Cable services in the Town of Truckee are currently
provided by Suddenlink Cable. Sudden Link Communications television service is currently
available on Church Street, at the western-most portion of the Master Plan Area. Telephone
services are provided by SBC Communications. SBC Communications provides telephone
service along Church Street and on the aerial j-pole systems serving Glenshire Drive and
East River Street. Telephone and cable television on-site distribution systems are required
for development with the Master Plan Area. Telephone would be served by a trunk line in
Donner Pass Road and cable television service would be provided via a connect from
Glenshire Drive or Church Street. Since the Master Plan Area is adjacent to areas which are
currently developed, it is likely that cable and telephone infrastructure would be readily
available in the vicinity of the Master Plan Area.
e. Natural Gas and Electrical Power. Truckee Donner Public Utility District would
provide electrical power service to the Master Plan Area. The Master Plan Area is situated
between four circuits from two different substations. There are two circuits from the
Truckee Substation and two circuits from the Martis Valley substation. Currently, Truckee
Substation is loaded about 60 to 75 percent at peak hours and Martis Valley Substation is
loaded about 50 to 60 percent.13 Overhead power lines serve the western portion of the
Master Plan Area along Church Street, connecting through the lumber yard. Lines from the
Truckee Donner Public Utility District’s Truckee Substation on East Jibboom Street serve
properties on Trout Creek Road. An underground feed is also present along Church Street
from Donner Pass Road to the lumber yard. Off-site power lines serve East River Street.
Southwest Gas provides natural gas service to the Master Plan Area. A 2-inch mainline exists
on Church Street. Off-site mains include the western section of East River Street and the
area of East Jibboom and Keiser Avenue. There is a 4-inch main on Glenshire Drive which
terminates approximately 400 feet west of the Highway 267 Bypass Bridge.
2. Relevant Railyard Draft Master Plan Policies
The Draft Master Plan does not include specific polices related to utilities.
12 Dorr, Nichole, 2008. Recycling Coordinator, Town of Truckee. Personal Communication with
RRM Design Group, July 16.
13 Schlosser, Sanna, P.E., 2008. Electrical Engineer, Town Donner Public Utility District.
Personal Communication with RRM Design Group. February 13.
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3. Impacts and Mitigation Measures
This section discusses potential impacts to utility systems that could result from
implementation of the Draft Master Plan. This section begins with criteria of significance,
which establish the thresholds used to determine whether an impact is significant. The
latter part of this section presents the impacts associated with the proposed project and
identifies mitigation measures, if appropriate. Less than significant impacts to infrastructure
and utilities are discussed first, followed by significant impacts.
a. Criteria of Significance. The proposed project would have a significant impact on
utilities if it would:14
Exceed wastewater treatment requirements of the Lahontan Regional Water Quality
Control Board.
Require or result in construction of new wastewater treatment facilities, or expansion of
existing facilities, construction of which could cause significant environmental effects.
Require or result in construction of new water facilities, or expansion of existing
facilities, construction of which could cause significant environmental effects.
Cause there to be insufficient water supplies to serve the project from existing
entitlements and resources, requiring new and expanded entitlements.
Violate applicable federal, State, and local statues and regulations related to solid waste.
The significance criteria identified above are based on Section 15065 and Appendix G of the
CEQA Guidelines.
(1) Less-Than-Significant Utilities Impacts. The following discussion describes
less-than-significant impacts to utility systems that would result from the implementation of
the Draft Master Plan.
Water Supply. In accordance with Water Code Section 10910 (Senate Bill [SB] 610), and
Government Code Section 66473.7 (SB 221), a city or county is required to provide
assurances that there is adequate water supply prior to the approval of large new
developments. SB 610 mandates a water supply assessment for all projects subject to CEQA
which would demand an amount of water equal to, or greater than, the equivalent amount
of water required by a 500 dwelling unit project. SB 211 creates a new requirement that
cities and counties include a condition of approval on the tentative subdivision map
approval requiring that a subdivider demonstrate that a sufficient water supply be available
to serve the proposed subdivision. Said condition must be satisfied before the final subdivi-
sion map can be approved.
14 2007 CEQA Guidelines, Appendix G.
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Information related to water supply and demand is from the Truckee Donner Public Utility
District 2005 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP), Truckee Donner Public Utility District
2004 Water Management Plan and the Railyard Master Plan Water Supply Assessment.
Truckee Donner Public Utility District prepared a Water Supply Assessment for the Railyard
Draft Master Plan project,15 which included projections of the water supply needed to serve
development within the Draft Master Plan. The Water Supply Assessment provides demand
water demand calculations for the Master Plan Area based on the Maximum Allowable
Development (MAD) described in the Draft Master Plan.
The Water Supply Assessment used demand estimates for land uses based on the MAD
provided in the Draft Master Plan. A detailed description of the MAD is provided in Chapter
3, Project Description. The water demand projection for development within the Master Plan
Area is 406.2 acre-feet per year (362,640 gallons per day), based on a various water
demand rates for different land uses.
As discussed in the WSA, the TDPUD’s 2004 Water Master Plan identified the Master Plan
Area for future development and projected the use of 152 AFY (136,160 gallons per day
(gpd)) for development of the Plan Area. This project demand was incorporated into the
2005 Urban Water Management Plan. Land uses within the Plan Area were not fully defined
when the UWMP was adopted, as such the UWMP did not adequately project the anticipated
water demand. The Railyard Water Supply Assessment anticipates water demand of 406
AFY, which represents 254 AFY more than the UWMP projection.
The land uses analysis used in the UWMP projections was created in 2002. In August 2008,
an engineering study was prepared by Acumen Engineering (with assistance from Town of
Truckee Planning Division staff) to demonstrate changes in the land use patterns and
densities since 2002. The engineering study identified 42 large parcels, and found a
significant number parcels had been “over projected” in the UWMP, as projects had been
approved with less development than anticipated in the 2002 land uses analysis. The UWMP
projected 1,859 AFY for these developments and the engineering analysis shows an actual
demand of 1,301 AFY. This represents a difference of 558 AFY of water supply that had
been over-projected in the UWMP.
Truckee Donner Public Utility District 2005 UWMP supply and demand comparisons,
together with specific land use analysis of approved and pending projects, determined that
the existing water supply entitlements and allotments of 14,619 AFY would be adequate to
provide water to new development in the Railyard Master Plan Area during normal, dry and
multiple dry years.
15 Truckee Donner Public Utility District, 2008. Truckee Railyard Water Supply Assesment.
May 1. Revised, September 3.
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According to the Railyard Draft Master Plan Water Supply Assessment, total water supply
demands anticipated with implementation of the Draft Master Plan would be met with the
Town’s existing allotments and entitlements and would not require new or expanded
entitlements.
Wastewater. Development within the Master Plan Area would increase wastewater
flows within the Town by approximately 326,376 gpd,16 and the lack of a useable on-site
sanitary sewer system necessitates the construction of a new collection system for uses
within the Master Plan Area. The Master Plan Area would function as a “tributary area” within
the Truckee Sanitary District’s (TSD) service area. Portions of the Church Street area west of
Donner Pass Road and the pump station serving the homes north of Trout Creek must be
connected to the new collection system. Discharge of the sewage into the TSD system on
East River Street would likely include the installation of a new sewage lift station at the east
end of the project where the TSD system crosses the Truckee River, to handle peak flows.
Wastewater connections would require a new pipeline under the railroad tracks, and the
connections would also be “stubbed” to the eastern edge of the Master Plan Area for the
portion designed DM, Downtown Manufacturing. Wastewater would flow to the Tahoe
Truckee Sanitation Agency’s 36-inch interceptor on the south side of the Truckee River,
which has sufficient capacity for the Master Plan Area redevelopment.
Based on the current estimated peak flow of 5.9 mgd,17 the WRP has a remaining design
treatment capacity of 3.7 mgd. The TTSA WRP facility has the capacity to treat the additional
wastewater (326,376 gpd) that would be generated by the proposed project.18
Natural Gas and Electrical Power. Development of the proposed project would
increase the demand for natural gas and electrical utility services in order to service the
additional residences, commercial spaces and other uses and with the Master Plan Area.
Natural gas connections are required for new development in the Master Plan Area. Natural
gas will be distributed through an on-site pipe system designed by Southwest Gas. The
point(s)-of-connection would include the existing pipeline on Church Street and a mainline
extension and connection from either Keiser Avenue or Glenshire Drive to the site.
New construction associated with the implementation of the proposed project would take
place adjacent to developed areas currently served by natural gas lines. The Truckee
Substation and Martis Valley substation are both operating at about half of their current
capacity, and therefore it is anticipated that these stations (or a combination of the two)
16 Tresan, Blake, P.E., 2008. District Engineer, Truckee Sanitation District. Personal
communication with RRM Design Group. October 30.
17 Parker, Jay P.E., 2008. Chief Engineer/Assistant General Manager. Personal communications
with RRM Design Group. February 26.
18 Ibid.
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would have capacity to serve the Master Plan Area. The extension of natural gas and
electrical utility services to serve new development would not constitute a significant
impact.
Telecommunications and Cable. Development of the proposed project would
increase the demand for telecommunication and cable services in order to service the mix
of land uses within the Master Plan Area. New construction associated with the
implementation of the Draft Master Plan would take place adjacent to developed areas
currently served by telecommunications and cable lines. The extension of
telecommunications and cable services to serve new development would not constitute a
significant impact.
(2) Significant Utility Impacts. The proposed project would not result in any
potentially significant adverse impacts to infrastructure and utilities.
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