Sacramento set to activate its biggest groundwater plant. Why some might notice tap water change

The city of Sacramento aims to activate its biggest groundwater treatment facility by mid-October, seven years after construction for the project began. 

Once the plant — which is located near Cosumnes River College — begins producing up to 4 million gallons of drinking water a day, people living in the Shasta neighborhood could notice their tap water change, Department of Utilities spokesperson Carlos Eliason said. 

Some residents could sense more of a mineral taste associated with well water compared to the treated river water the area has received, Eliason said. But while drinking water preferences depend on the person, he said the Shasta Groundwater Treatment Facility will improve the entire city’s water supply.   

“It also helps us be a little bit more flexible with those supplies because groundwater you can actually pump back in,” Eliason said. “So, when you have a wet year you can store more groundwater in those aquifers. Then when you have a drier year, you can use that as a little bit more of a diversified source of water.” 

About 80% of the city’s water comes from the Sacramento and American rivers, while 20% comes from groundwater, Eliason said. Most groundwater wells are located in the northern area of the city, he added. The current biggest active groundwater facility is in North Sacramento and produces up to 1.5 million gallons of drinking water per day, Eliason said. 

The city initially planned to build the Shasta facility to improve water pressure in southwestern Sacramento during peak water usage, according to a city staff report for a January update to the construction contract. After deciding to add a second groundwater well, crews were almost finished with construction at the end of 2019, the report said. But then switching to a different chlorine treatment and the COVID-19 pandemic delayed bringing the facility online. 

COVID-19 brought supply issues and complicated scheduling testing and training, the report said. Some items obtained earlier, such as pressure gauges, analyzer fluid and batteries, also needed to be repaired and replaced. 

The project cost about $23.5 million, according to a city blog post, and was funded by development impact fees, grants and water rates. The Shasta facility includes two pumps that pull water from wells 1,200 feet below ground, as well as a 4-million gallon tank. Water will be filtered, treated and stored on site and then distributed to homes and businesses. 

Sacramento invested in both its own water system and neighboring water agencies by building the Shasta plant, Eliason said. The Department of Utilities sometimes provides drinking water services outside city boundaries and arranges groundwater substitution transfers, he added. 

“At the end of the day, it helps us provide ourselves water supplies, but puts us in a good position to be able to help others as well,” Eliason said. 

City staff were planning to get the facility up and running by the end of September and are finalizing one or two contracts, Eliason said Monday. On Thursday, he said staff hope to begin production by mid-October.