Committee forwards SFPUC agreement amendment to Board to designate Santa Clara Valley Water District as O&M party for Milpitas intertie

The Budget and Finance Committee on April 3 voted to forward to the full Board a resolution approving a second amendment to the agreement between the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and the Santa Clara Valley Water District to designate the district as the operation and maintenance (O&M) party for the intertie facility in Milpitas from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2029.

Angela Chung, water supply and treatment division manager for the SFPUC, told the committee the InnoTie connects the two water systems and can deliver up to 40,000,000 gallons per day in either direction for emergencies or critical work. She said the district has been the sole operator in practice and staff believe it is more efficient for the district to continue as the O&M party given proximity to the facility. Chung said funds for maintenance will continue to come from the water enterprise operating budget and estimated the SFPUC share of O&M costs at about $50,000–$60,000 per year.

With no public speakers, Chair Connie Chan moved to forward the resolution with a positive recommendation; the roll call recorded three ayes and the committee forwarded the item to the full Board.