Draft Environmental Impact Report - East Bay Municipal Utility District

Estates Reservoir Improvements Draft Environmental Impact ReportSummaryS.3 Project DescriptionThe Project involves the demolition of the entire existing open-cut Estates Reservoirfollowed by the construction of two 3.3-MG buried concrete tanks with landscaping andassociated appurtenances. Figure S-2 depicts the proposed site plan and cross-sectionsfor the existing and proposed replacement facilities at the Estates Reservoir site.Improvements at the Montclair Pumping Plant, located on the same site, include anupgrade of existing pumps and motors including the instrumentation, motor controlcenters, transformers and related appurtenances. No changes to the footprint or plantstructure are proposed.Demolition of the Estates Reservoir would entail removing the fountains, roof andsupporting timbers, concrete planter and concrete reservoir basin lining, and reducing theheight of the earth dam embankment. Some of the structural concrete and soil removedfrom the embankment will be recycled and incorporated into the proposed grading andlandscape plan. The bulk of the existing roofing material, plywood sheathing, and timberframing system cannot be reused on-site.The design of the two partially buried replacement 3.3-MG concrete tanks has beenintegrated into and is an integral element of the replacement landscape site design. Theinterior tank site (basin) will be landscaped with a mixture of native grasses, shrubs andtrees. An improved (looped) pedestrian path will be added in response to residents’concerns about pedestrian and traffic safety. Existing bushes along the perimeter will bethinned while the lower braches of existing trees will be pruned to address fire preventionand security concerns; this pruning will also open public views into the site. The existingvehicular access point to the site from Estates Drive will be maintained. New interiorparking for EBMUD vehicles and equipment will be provided in two areas which will bescreened to the extent feasible.In response to EBMUD’s Vulnerability Assessment Program- Security Upgrades, theexisting chain-link security fence along the site perimeter will be replaced at the existinglocation. The fence height will increase from six to eight feet, and the mesh size willchange from two inches to one inch. The new security fence will also be black-vinylcoated.sb09_001.doc S-3 7/22/2009