Review of Subsurface Seawater Intakes

DEIR, Monterey Desal Project

DRAFT Presentation to Monterey
Peninsula Regional Water Authority
23 June 2015

Outline

Overview of Project and Proposed Subsurface Seawater

Intakes (SSIs)
Overview of Hydrogeologic Setting
Site-Specific Feasibility Evaluation of SSIs
Borings
Pumping Test
Groundwater Models

Findings
Discussion of Assumptions and Uncertainties
Conclusions

Proposed Production and Required Feedwater

Option 1 (Proposed Project)

Production: 9.6 mgd (10,754 AFY = 6,667 gpm)
Feedwater: 24.1 mgd (26,997 AFY = 16,736 gpm)
from 10 Slant Wells at CMEX Site
Option 2 (Project Variant)
Production: 6.4 mgd (7,169 AFY = 4,444 gpm)
Feedwater: 15.5 mgd (17,363 AFY = 10,764 gpm)
from 7 Slant Wells at CMEX Site
Intent is to maximize contribution to the intakes from
the ocean and minimize contribution from inland
coastal aquifers.

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Schematic Example of a Slant Well

consultants

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Geosyntec ()
consultants

Proposed Slant Well Locations at CMEX Site

MONTRY PlNIHSULA WATIR Slfi'PI.Y PROJECT

CEMEXSITE
SLANT WEll

CONFIGURATION A
(FEEOWATER
SUPPLY OF 24.1 MGO)

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Coastal Aquifer Hydrostratigraphic Units

consultants

North
Sal inas Valley
Groundwater Basin

Potrero Road
Moss landing

South
Fort Ord Du ne Complex

CEMEX

S&~ li n as

Perched "A" Aquifer

SVA~==:::::::::__,~

180-Foot Aquifer

--

180-FTE Aquifer

180/400-Foot Aquitard

4oo-Foot Aquifer
400-Foot Aqultard

900-t-oot Aquifer

1Ox Ver tical Exilggemtlon

(Figure 4.4-2 of DEIR)

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Groundwater Elevations
in Salinas Valley 180-ft Aquifer

Groundwater levels
well below sea level
several miles inland
due to overdraft of
aquifers.
MAKE LABELS
LARGER

(Figure 4.4-5 of DEIR)

Extent of Seawater Intrusion

in Salinas Valley 180-ft Aquifer

Chloride > 500 mg/L

extends 8 miles
from the coast
(2013).

(Figure 4.4-9 of DEIR)

The SVGB is
hydrologically
connected to the
Monterey Bay by
ocean outcrops of
the 180-Foot and
400-Foot Aquifers
that outcrop a few
miles offshore.

Groundwater Elevations
in Salinas Valley 400-ft Aquifer

Groundwater levels
well below sea level
several miles inland.
MAKE LABELS
LARGER

(Figure 4.4-6 of DEIR)

Extent of Seawater Intrusion

in Salinas Valley 400-ft Aquifer

Chloride > 500 mg/L

extends 3.5 miles
from the coast
(2013).

(Figure 4.4-9 of DEIR)

Feasibility Evaluation and Design of

Subsurface Intakes

Site-Specific Properties and Testing

6 exploratory borings

water quality samples in 15 aquifer zone locations

grain-size analysis and calcs of hydraulic conductivity
laboratory testing of Kh and Kv on core samples
geophysical logs

7 monitoring well clusters

Long-term pumping test of first slant well currently in
progress.

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Geologic Cross Section of CMEX Area

consultants

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(Figure 4.4-3 of DEIR)

29,000

30,000

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Feasibility Evaluation and Design of

Subsurface Intakes

Groundwater flow modeling of slant well Intakes at coastal

margin provides predictions of
Portions of contribution to subsurface intakes from the
ocean and from inland
Potential influence of the pumping on coastal margin
aquifers
drawdown of groundwater levels
change in groundwater flow
change sea water intrusion rates

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Groundwater Modeling

consultants

MOHTtREY PNittSULA WATtR SUPPLY PROJECT

RESULTS OJ Tt5T SlANT WEU PREDICTJV SCENARIOS USING TM CIMEX A~A MODEL

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Groundwater Models of Three Scales

Regional Salinas Valley Integrated Groundwater and

Surface Water Model (SVIGSM)
North Marina Groundwater Model (NMGWM, Geoscience
2013-2015)
CMEX Model (CM, Geoscience, 2014)

Salinas Valley IGSM

Regional Salinas Valley Integrated Groundwater and

Surface Water Model (SVIGSM)
Entire Salinas Valley Basin Management Tool
(Montgomery Watson, 1994; WRIME, 2008)
650 sq mi model domain with ~0.4 sq mile cell size
3 Layers: 180-ft, 400-ft, 900-ft aquifers.

North Marina GWM

North Marina Groundwater Model (NMGWM, Geoscience

2013-2015)
MODFLOW, MT3D, SEAWAT More detailed designed as
tool to evaluate feasibility and potential impact of SSIs
coverage of 149 sq mi area along coast; Offshore to 5 mi
and 5+ mi inland; 200 x 200 ft cell size.
8 Layers: Benthic Zone, Dune Sand, 180-ft and 180 ft equiv,
400-ft, 900-ft aquifers and intervening aquitards.
Uses results of SVIGSM as boundary conditions.
Transient runs with variable climate conditions for 63 years.

CMEX MODEL

CMEX Model (CM, Geoscience, 2014)

SEWAT. More detailed tool to evaluate feasibility of SSI in
CMEX area.
4 sq mile domain. 20 x 20 ft cell size. Offshore to 4800 ft
and ~6000 ft inland
12 layers:
Benthic Zone (constant sea level),
Dune Sand, 180-ft and 180 ft equiv,
400-ft, 900-ft aquifers and intervening aquitards.

Uses results of NMGWM for boundary conditions.

Will be calibrated to long-term slant well pumping test
Then NMGWM updated

Model Drawdown in Dune Sand Aquifer

Model-calculated
maximum inland
extent of 1 ft
lowering
(drawdown) of
groundwater due
to project
pumping is ~5
miles.
(1 ft contours of
drawdown)

Model Drawdown in 180-ft Aquifer

Model-calculated
inland extent of
1 ft lowering
(drawdown) of
groundwater due
to project pumping
is ~7 miles.
(1 ft contours of
drawdown)

Model Drawdown in 180-ft Aquifer

and Locations of Wells

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2,500

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(Figure 4.4-15 of DEIR)

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Drawdown Impact is Less Than Significant

No local wells within the area of influence would be
adversely impacted by the drawdown caused by project
pumping.
Pumps and screens are deeper than the predicted drawdown,
Shallow wells no longer used, or
Wells are screened in a deeper aquifer with limited hydraulic
connection to the Dune Sands or the 180-Foot Equivalent
Aquifers.
The nearest municipal water supply wells (Marina Wells 10,
11, and 12) are more than 2 miles to the SE and screened in
the 900-Foot Aquifer.

Consequently, the DIER concludes that impact of the

project on neighboring, local groundwater wells is less than
significant.

Proportion of Ocean Water and Freshwater

Proportion of Ocean Water (X) and Inland Fresh Water

(1-X) calculated from model chloride content of intake
water (Feedwater Salinity FS).
Ocean Water Salinity (OWS) Chloride Conc = 33,500 mg/L
Inland Groundwater Salinity (IS) Chloride Conc = 440 mg/L

X * OWS + (1-X) IS = FS
X * OWS + IS - X*IS = FS
X*OWS - X*IS = FS - IS
X(OWS-IS) = FS - IS
X = (FS- IS)/(OWS-IS)

For example Intake Salinity of

32,000 mg/L consists of 95%
Ocean Water and 5% Inland
Groundwater.

Inland Groundwater Take is Replenished

Based on NMGWM pumping simulations, the intake

water consists of
94.5% ocean water, and
5.5% inland groundwater which is 1,458 AFY.

The project will return fresh water, which is equal to the

portion of inland groundwater pumped, to the Salinas
Groundwater Basin via the Castroville Seawater Intrusion
Project (CSIP) ponds.
Thus, the DEIR concludes the project will result in no
net depletion of inland groundwater.

Potential Influence on Contaminant Plumes

at Fort Ord

DEIR Fig 4.4-18 Drawdown in

180 and Ft Ord Plumes

Potential Influence on Contaminant Plumes

at Fort Ord
OU1 TCE A-Aquifer Plume (TCE plume 2.25 mi SE):
Less than significant because drawdown of project
pumping much less than local remedial pumping
OUCTP A-Aquifer Plume (carbon tetrachloride plume 2
mi SE): bioremediation in progress. Cal Am monitoring
and mitigation if needed.
OUCTP Upper 180 ft Aquifer Plume (3 mi SE). Less
than significant because drawdown of project pumping
much less than local remedial pumping

The Project Reduces Inland Extent of

Sea Water Intrusion

Project pumping accelerates seawater intrusion to the

SSIs in the CEMEX area, but reduces the rate of sea
water intrusion further inland.
Project coastal margin pumping locally reverses existing
inland flow of groundwater and draws some inland
groundwater toward the coast.
Thus the project decreases seawater intrusion to
inland aquifers.

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consultants

The Project Reduces Inland Extent of

Sea Water Intrusion

Existing Conditions (No Project)

Inland flow direction in Coastal Aquifers

24.1 MGD Pumping

Local Reversal of Flow toward Ocean

DEIR Fig 4.4-16

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Conservative Model Assumptions

Offshore No-Flow Boundary Conditions

Offshore portion of Model Layer 1 (Benthic Layer) is
constant sea level elevation and salinity, but the offshore
boundary conditions for all the other layers are no flow
boundaries rather than constant sea level elevation.
The large offshore extent of the model layers provides a
reservoir of sea-water groundwater beneath the sea
floor, but no flow boundaries result in conservatively large
model contribution of inland flow to pumping beneath the
coastal margin.

Conservative Model Assumptions

Conservatively Low Kh between Dune sand and 180FTE Aquifers at Coastline

Borings at the CMEX site show that low permeability clay
layers between Dune Sand and 180-FTE Aquifers, which
are present inland, do not extent offshore.
However, the model includes a relatively low permeability
layer (Model Layer 3, Kh = 5 ft/d) between the Dune Sand
and 180 FTE Aquifers extending offshore.
Thus, the model may underestimate the hydraulic
connection between the 180-FTE Aquifer with the the
Dune Sand Aquifer and the Ocean.

Conservative Model Assumptions

Conservatively
Low Kh (5 ft/d)
between Dune
sand and 180-FTE
Aquifers at
Coastline
(Model Layer 3)

Potentially Non-Conservative Hydraulic

Conductivity Values in Models

Horizontal Hydraulic Conductivity (Kh) values (340 and 114

ft/d) assigned to the Dune Sand and 180 FTE Aquifers at
coastal margin and offshore may be optimistically high.
Vertical Hydraulic Conductivity (Kv) value (10 ft/d) assigned
to some of the Dune Sand aquifer may be optimistically high.
Thus, the models may overestimate hydraulic connection
between the 180-FTE and Dune Sand Aquifers with the
Ocean.
May be appropriate to update the NMGWM properties
based on calibration of CMEX model to long-term
pumping test of Slant Well.

Potentially Non-Conservative Hydraulic

Conductivity Values in Models

Hi Kv (10 ft/d) for

Dune Sand
Aquifer (Model
Layer 2) may
overestimate
hydraulic
connection to the
Ocean

Potentially Non-Conservative Location of

Slant Wells in Models

The models represent the slant wells extending well

beneath the sea floor, but the actual slant wells may not
reach that far.
Test slant well barely reaches the ocean margin.
At the ocean margin the well screen is more the 200 ft
beneath sea level.
Thus, the models may overestimate hydraulic connection
between the slant well intakes and the Ocean.
May be appropriate to update the models with the
actual Slant Well locations, or conduct sensitivity
model runs.

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consultants

Substantial Separation between Slant Well

Intakes and the Ocean Floor

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Conclusions Regarding Project Intakes

The models provide reasonable simulations of pumping

from the subsurface intakes.
The contribution of inland fresh groundwater to the
proposed pumping beneath the coastal margin is minor and
can realistically be returned to the Salinas Basin.
The potential impact to inland wells is not significant.
The project pumping would decrease sea water intrusion to
inland aquifers.
Updates to the model predictions can be made based on
the long-term pump testing currently in progress at the
slant well.