Summary

This project is a result of coordination between San Benito County, Sunnyslope Water District, CA Department of Water Resources, Tres Pinos Water District, Venture Estates Mutual Water Company, and San Benito County Water District. The goal is to fully consolidate the potable water systems for Stonegate, Tres Pinos, and Venture Estates with Sunnyslope Water such that everyone in these areas will become Sunnyslope customers. Once the project is finished, Sunnyslope will be solely responsible for providing safe and reliable potable water service. The project includes construction of over 6 miles of new pipelines, a new water storage tank, and abandonment or demolition of wells and facilities previously serving these areas. The region will be annexed into Sunnyslope's district boundary.

History

Venture Estates (Harbern Way) - Venture Estates has had a long history of water quality and reliability issues. In the late 1990s Venture Estate Mutual Water Company requested that Sunnyslope consider consolidating them to provide water service. At that time they were annexed into Sunnyslope's boundary and paid connection fees. However, there were no pipelines connecting them to Sunnyslope, and the cost of constructing such pipelines would be more than Venture Estates could afford. So they were waiting for Fairview Corners to develop west of Harbern Way at which time they could connect. Due to this project, Venture Estates will connect to Sunnyslope several years before otherwise possible from Fairview Corners developing.

Stonegate - The Stonegate potable water system is managed by the County CSA for Stonegate and has had recurring water supply and quality issues. They have operated using a well with manganese treatment along with a small "temporary emergency" surface water treatment facility. In the past, they have had to resort to trucking in water for their system during droughts. Stonegate has a parallel non-potable water system for irrigation and fire protect, which Sunnyslope will not be taking over or managing.

Tres Pinos - The Tres Pinos water system has significant deficiencies regarding water supply, reliability, quality, and fire protection. Tres Pinos Water District also manages the wastewater for this community which it will continue to do, even after the water system consolidation. 

Grant Funding

San Benito County was awarded a $13 Million grant from the CA Department of Water Resources to facilitate this project and address the drought vulnerability of these communities. About $4 Million is required from the community as matching to qualify for the full grant amount. Some of this matching is being provided by Sunnyslope for portions of the project benefiting ALL Sunnyslope customers and the remaining will likely be through a loan obtained by the County. By the terms of the grant, the entire project must be completed by October 31, 2026.

Consolidation Strategy

Because Tres Pinos community is outside the SBCWD Zone 6 boundary, imported surface water cannot be supplied to them. Therefore, all the consolidated water systems will be served by the Foxhill Pressure Zone which is solely supplied with well water. The whole region will get annexed into Sunnyslope's District. Once the project is completed, the prior water supply wells and treatment plant will be abandoned. 

Construction

Segment A - Ridgemark - Sunnyslope's Well #8 will be connected to the Foxhill Zone along with Sunnyslope's Well #5 to provide supply redundancy. Thi s requires construction of a new water main in Ridgemark Dr., part of Donald Dr, and the old Ridgemark golf couse fairway.

Segment B - Harbern & Foxhill - A pipeline will be extended through the future Fairview Corners development, down Harbern Way, and up Foxhill Circle to the Foxhill Tank Site. Here it will tie into Venture Estates water system.

Segment C - Best Road & Along Hwy 25 - A pipeline will be build from the Foxhill Tanks back down Foxhill Circle, down Best Road, parallel to Hwy 25 to Tres Pinos Elementary School, then into Stonegate where it will tie into Stonegate's existing potable water system. Along Hwy 25, the project will also replace SBCWD's fragile Corban pipeline. 

Segment D - Diablo Hills & Quien Sabe - A new pipeline will be build from the Stonegate Tank down Diablo Hills to Quien Sabe, then across Hwy 25 to connect to Tres Pinos water system.

Segment E - Southside & Bolado Rd - A pipeline will run from Southside Rd down Bolado Rd to better serve Tres Pinos residents off Bolado Rd and significantly improve the fire protection there.