Soda Bay

History

County Service Area Number 20 (CSA#20), is comprised of the customer base for the Soda Bay Water Treatment facility and distribution system and includes Soda Bay, Lakewood Park, and Riviera Heights areas of Lake County. CSA Number 20 was formed (with the dissolution of its predecessor(s) Riviera Mutual Water Company and over 14 additional small independent water systems) in March of 1989. The Soda Bay Water Treatment Facility was completed and went into service in 1992. This is a surface water treatment plant utilizing Clear Lake as the water source. The treatment facility consists of a raw water intake structure, raw water pumping station, pretreatment (ozonation), clarification/granular media filtration (GMF), granular activated carbon (GAC), chlorination, 135,000 gallon Clearwell, finished water pumping, one 330,000 gallons, four 60,000 gallons, and one 30,000 gallon tank(s).

Customer Statistics & Infrastructure

CSA Number 20/Soda Bay Water currently includes:

  • 667 Connections (749 Single Family Dwelling (SFD) equivalents), serving a population of nearly 1,417 residents.
  • Over 15 miles of distribution pipeline.
  • 6 Storage tanks (one 330,000-gallons, four 60,000- gallons, and one 30,000-gallon tank)
  • 2 high service pump stations
  • 5 booster pumping stations

The distribution system is divided into five pressure zones, which are served by the 135,000 Clearwell, one 330,000-gallon, four 60,000-gallon, and one 30,000-gallon water storage tanks, 5 booster pump stations, and two high service pump stations.

Status

The facility is operating efficiently and providing water to customers in compliance with all applicable water quality standards. The 12-month change in Soda Bay Water's customer base was less than 1%. Many portions of the original water system(s) were constructed with less than ideal materials and design and during a time well before District staff had any role or oversight of the system(s). Maintenance of the system continues to be a challenge.

Outlook

The District is examining options for efficiency improvements similar to those incorporated at the N Lakeport Water Treatment plant this past year. Media replacement and improvements within the distribution system (mainly piping and looping) to maintain/manage pressure and supply are the likely goals in the near term for the existing customer base and reasonable future growth. The ozone system will require replacement in the near future. Interim measures to address this component are underway. In 2014 the system received a $500,000 funding agreement from the State for engineering design for the improvements. The design of the improvements was completed in late 2015. The planning/design funding agreement will be converted into a construction agreement in 2016 with construction following shortly thereafter.