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CONSIDERATION OF ADOPTION, REJECTION, AMENDMENT, AND/OR POSTPONEMENT OF RESOLUTION R-2021-119: A RESOLUTION OF THE NORMAN UTILITIES AUTHORITY AUTHORIZING THE CHAIRMAN TO SUBMIT A BUREAU OF RECLAMATION (BOR) GRANT APPLICATION FOR WATERSMART: APPLIED SCIENCE GRANT TO THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION.
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BACKGROUND: Lake Thunderbird is a Federal lake managed by the Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District (COMCD). In 2012, COMCD applied for and received a grant from the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) for the Title XVI (2012) Project, ‘Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District, Lake Thunderbird Water Reuse Feasibility Study’, which identified the need for augmentation of potable water supply in Lake Thunderbird with highly treated municipal reuse water.
In 2014, the Norman City Council acting as the Norman Utilities Authority (NUA) adopted the 2014 Norman Strategic Water Supply Plan (SWSP). The goal of the SWSP is to provide a long term sustainable water supply for the City of Norman that has the potential to meet water demands for the next 50 years. After much research, numerous public meetings and community input, “indirect potable water” reuse was chosen as a viable long term water supply, by discharging highly treated reuse water through tributaries to Lake Thunderbird.
The NUA and Garver LLC (Garver) were selected December 20, 2019, as recipients for the BOR Water Reclamation and Reuse Research under the Title XVI Program for Fiscal Year 2019 Funding Opportunity Announcement No. BOR-DO-19-F009. The BOR grant provides $700,109 towards the NUA pilot project and will reimburse a portion of the NUA funds expended. The pilot project is underway and sampling and analyses are to begin in May 2021 and will continue over the next 12-18 months.
Currently, the BOR is accepting applications through their WaterSMART Applied Science Grant program. Staff is working with Garver to submit an application to further model Lake Thunderbird water augmentation and establish a specialized model to guide various fill cycles of the lake in an efficient manner.
DISCUSSION: This is an opportunity to apply for Federal funding assistance, which if secured, would fund additional modeling efforts regarding the Lake Thunderbird water supply. Staff along with consultants will take a closer look at Lake Thunderbird’s firm yield. The model will access many data input sources to determine most efficient times that water will be imported into the lake. Once the model is established, it will be available to be used for highly treated effluent from our Water Reclamation Facility or any other augmentation source as approved of in the future.
The BOR’s intention in requesting an Official Resolution is to verify:
1. The identity of the official with legal authority to enter into a financial assistance agreement;
2. The board of directors, governing body, or appropriate official who has reviewed and supports the application being submitted;
3. The capability of the applicant to provide the amount of funding and/or in-kind contributions specified in the funding plan; and
4. That the applicant will work with the BOR to meet established deadlines for entering into a grant or cooperative funding agreement.
The application and resolution do not commit the NUA to accepting funds. Such a commitment would be required if and when the NUA entered into a grant agreement; a decision that would return to Council for approval if the grant is secured.
RECOMMENDATION: NUA staff recommends the Norman Utilities Authority adopt Resolution R-2021-119 authorizing the submittal of a Financial Assistance Application to the United States Bureau of Reclamation for the WaterSMART: Applied Science Grant to potentially enter into a financing agreement under the program.