1. Directors considered moving manganese treatment earlier. Naturally occurring manganese in the Glen Park and Stonecreek wells, together with elevated total dissolved solids, constrains use of groundwater. Staff said manganese can accumulate in the well pipeline and cause spikes at the required testing point above California’s secondary maximum contaminant level of 0.05 mg/L. The blended water distributed to customers in 2025 contained approximately 0.037 mg/L of manganese. A greensand treatment system is estimated to cost $3–$3.5 million per well, including installation and related facilities. Staff identified potential locations at the wellheads, near the Randall-Bold blending facility and near the corporation yard, along with options for disposing of manganese-bearing backwash. Directors discussed advancing this component of a larger groundwater-treatment plan but approved no treatment expenditure or construction schedule. They asked staff to examine financing, potential payback and operating costs for discussion at the January 2027 strategic planning session.
2. Well capacity exceeds current production, but treatment has limits. The two existing wells have a combined potential production capacity of approximately 4 million gallons per day. Glen Park is currently producing around 500,000 gallons per day, while Stonecreek contributes little. Greensand treatment could address manganese, but it does not remove the dissolved solids that also restrict how much well water can be blended into the system. The district’s 2025 treatment evaluation contemplated approximately 2.6 million gallons per day of groundwater after a future reverse osmosis system. Staff and directors discussed the potential supply and cost benefits of greater well use; the payback for earlier manganese treatment remains to be established.
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