Pleasanton approves Zone 7 agreement for two new groundwater wells

Pleasanton’s City Council voted 5-0 on Tuesday, Sept. 1, to authorize the city manager to negotiate and sign an agreement with Zone 7 Water Agency for two new groundwater wells. The vote moves the Joint Groundwater Supply Project into environmental review, design and construction.

The wells would go at Pleasanton Tennis and Community Park and at Hansen Park, with a pipeline carrying the groundwater to Zone 7’s Hopyard Chloramination Facility for treatment before it enters the Zone 7 system. Zone 7 would deliver the water back to the city through its existing system and turnouts.

What is at stake is local supply. Since 2022, when PFAS detections took Pleasanton’s groundwater wells offline, the city has relied entirely on purchased Zone 7 water. Under the agreement, Pleasanton keeps its right to 3,500 acre-feet of groundwater a year once the new facilities are operational, which the city expects by the end of 2029. The framework runs through 2055.

"Restoring Pleasanton’s local groundwater supply is essential, and the City Council has been working toward this milestone for a long time," Mayor Jack Balch said in the city’s announcement.

The joint facilities are projected to cost $42.3 million, with Pleasanton’s share estimated at $15.2 million. Separately, and at its own cost, the city will improve its own distribution system, estimated at $12.3 million. Adding the $1.5 million already spent on the feasibility phase, Pleasanton expects to spend about $29 million in total.

The two agencies split the work. Zone 7 leads environmental review, design and construction, and will own, operate and maintain the finished wells. Pleasanton runs community outreach and signs off on design features that affect city-owned property, including how the facilities look, where they sit and how much noise they make.

Once the wells are running, Pleasanton contributes to operating and maintenance costs in proportion to its use, and Zone 7 funds major repairs, replacements and upgrades over time.

The agreement also leaves the city room to step back. Pleasanton can withdraw during the design phase. Zone 7 keeps supplying water during construction, at a reduced rate if delays are caused solely by Zone 7. Any cost increase beyond approved contingencies needs both agencies’ approval.

Environmental review and design come next.