City Water Overhaul: Multiple Options With Varying Costs

Last week, the engineering firm the city hired to analyze Davis's future water needs presented three alternatives to the current plan.

The city's Water Advisory Committee is comparing those alternative plans against the original Woodland-Davis Clean Water Agency project, which would take water from the Sacramento River, treat it and pipe it to Davis and Woodland.

That plan would carry an estimated $299 million combined cost for both cities. You can read the details in the Davis Enterprise. 

But Woodland City Manager Paul Navazio -- Davis's former interim city manager and finance director -- sent a memo to Davis City Manager Steve Pinkerton saying that Woodland is not interested in pursuing any West Sacramento alternatives. 

“We do not believe that there are advantages for the city to pursue a West Sacramento alternative, given the cost, risks and questions that still remain," Navazio wrote last week. "Put simply, while the city of Woodland respects the city of Davis’ considerations of alternatives to the current Woodland-Davis Surface Water Project, the city of Woodland is committed to proceeding with the current ‘preferred’ project, whether Davis remains as a project partner, or not.”

Several sources told the Davis Vanguard that if Davis decides to go with a West Sacramento option, Woodland may be willing to wait for a vote in April 2013. These sources said Woodland would have to pay substantially more to "go it alone,” the Vanguard reported.

The Enterprise presented a nice fiscal breakdown of proposed projects. The current proposal would cost Davis $139.9 million. The West Sacramento options cost about $110 and $140.  The Enterprise piece elaborates on the cost of the specific projects.

At next Tuesday's meeting, the city council will hear the WAC's recommendation to put a measure on the November ballot that would bind the city to go with the public's choice of the options.

You can check out this  to learn more about the council candidates' positions on the future of water in Davis. It was published prior to the election. 

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