NAVAJO-GALLUP WATER SUPPLY PROJECT

PROJECT CONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE MEETING NO. 57

THURSDAY, November 17, 2022 9:00 AM

via MICROSOFT TEAMS

MEETING SUMMARY

1. Review and approve agenda (Reclamation) - approved

2. Review July 28, 2022 PCC Meeting Summary Handout (Reclamation)

a. Posted on SharePoint in PCC folder associated with notes

b. Posted on NGWSP website as well

0. Review of PCC Action Item List – Handout (Reclamation)

a. Reach 14 SCADA Focus Call - no update

b. Shiprock Connection installation letter has been drafted and in process for signature

c. Navajo ownership of Diversion Structure letter has been drafted

0. Other Related Navajo-San Juan NM Settlement Issues (BIA/Navajo Nation)

a. Conjunctive Groundwater Use Plan - see slides

b. San Juan River Navajo Irrigation Projects - see slides

 

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

5. Pumping Plants No. 2 and 3 (Reclamation) - see slides

 

6. Block 4C-8 (Reclamation) - see slides

a. Air release valves are going to be retrofitted w backflow preventers on the SJL

b. Reclamation to provide cost estimate to DePauli related to backflow retrofit

 

7. Pumping Plants No. 4 and 7 (Reclamation) - see slides

 

8. Navajo Code Talkers Sublateral (Reaches 12.1/12.2) (Reclamation) - see slides

a. Native material meets specs for CLSM and is being used on 12.1

b. Trench box being used to install Code Talkers Sublateral

 

9. Reach 27.11 (Gallup)

a. Nothing has changed since July PCC update.

b. No slides available.

c. Valves have taken a while to receive so contractor has been delayed some.

 

 

SAN JUAN LATERAL- ISSUES / DESIGN UPDATE

11. Navajo-Gallup Amendments and Value Planning Update

a. Amendments

i. Amendments were introduced to the Senate Oct 11

ii. Hearing has not been scheduled

iii. Sen. Lujan would like this to be passed during the lame duck session

iv. Department is preparing testimony

 . Value Planning

i. Still need to be wrapped up

 

12. San Juan Lateral Intake (aka Reach 1) – Status/Schedule (Reclamation)

a. SJR Intake Pumping Plant Rehab and SJGS Reservoir Modifications

i. VE Study

i. Scheduled Dec 5-9, currently as in-person at FCCO
ii. USBR: Re-evaluate in-person after Thanksgiving...depending on 

COVID, maybe just site-visits in-person if necessary

iii. NNDWR or SMA participants?

iv. Comments due Dec 22

b. River Pumping Plant Physical Model

i. TSC has recently completed construction on a 1⁄4 scale model of the SJGS intake 

structure

ii. Video of the model operating shown

 

3. SJGS Land/Facilities Acquisition Update

a. Working the final details of the agreements

4. NEPA Compliance – Update and Schedule

a. Reclamation completed the NEPA and signed a FONSI for all the upstream reaches of 

the NGWSP

b. BLM's FONSI received

c. BIA's FONSI forthcoming

 

13. Block 2-3 – Status/Schedule (Reclamation)

a. 60% Design – On going field investigations on alignment. Completion of 60% scheduled 

for Feb 2023, 90% expected summer of 2023. Solicitation in early 2024

 

14. SJL Pumping Plants – Status/Schedule (Reclamation)

a. Pumping Plant #1 – Design has begun. Aiming for April of 2023 for 30% Design and the 

VE study in the June 2023 timeframe.

 

15. Block 4A-4B – Status/Schedule (Reclamation) – Went to solicitation in September and bid close 

date is Dec 15, Award in Feb 2023 and Construction to start April 2023.

 

16. Reach 27/Pumping Plant #8– Status/Schedule (City of Gallup)

a. 27.7b – NTP to advertise in January 2023 and construction start in March 2023. Pipe was 

upsized from 16" to 18"

b. 27.12 - in design, dealing with USACE sites and most have moved on...trying to find 

new coordinator for the whole project

c. PP8 - arch and topographical done, moving ahead with design

17. Tohlakai Pumping Plant

a. Interim Groundwater Delivery from Twin Lakes Well (Navajo Nation/USBR/City of 

Gallup)

i. Gallup is not currently taking water

ii. NM requires a backflow preventer be installed on 12A

iii. Backflow preventer install complete next summer (2023) 

iv. Well upgrade scope

i. Re-equip twin lakes well along with the G80 well through the 

conjunctive well water funding process

ii. 6 months to get work order through, contract w/ DePauli (another 6 

months)...maybe complete by end of 2023

 

18. Reach 14 (Indian Health Service)

a. Reaches 14.1 and 14.2 – Status/Schedule

i. Funds ~$9 million transferred from USBR to R14 to go toward 14.1 and 14.2

ii. Will be used to purchase material

iii. Looking to schedule borings for the 11+ wash crossings
iv. Working on access for water storage tank(s)

v. Tank(s) being fabricated

vi. IHS is expected to get a new District Engineer to allow more focus on the 

project

vii. Pre-con expected late-Dec/early-Jan

b. Reaches 14.6a, 14.7a, 14.8a – Status/Schedule

i. Finalizing ROW package, final private pieces to be settled

ii. Package waiting to go to into process based on private parcel outcome

 

19. BBN9 – Status/Schedule (Navajo Nation/SMA) - see slides

a. BBN9 cost increase should be covered by indexing but at the moment it seems like this is 

being underfunded

i. USBR to review funding

b. What can chapters to do help address potential funding shortfall?

i. An agency resolution requesting a fully funded project?

ii. SMA to work with Johnny Johnson

c. The facilities proposed in BBN9 are to cover the full flows of the project

d. There was a discussion about reducing capacity in the past

i. Crownpoint has groundwater wells and there was discussion previously about 

those well supplementing surface water to meet peak flows

ii. The current capacity design is the original EIS amount (PIN 40)

e. Hwy 371 project may affect design

 

20. San Juan Lateral Community Connections (Navajo Nation/SMA)

a. SMA is working with NNDWR

b. Coordination meeting with USBR and HIS

c. Field staking for alignments

d. Obtaining as-builts for distribution systems

e. Next coordination call is Nov 30

 

CUTTER LATERAL

21. Construction and OM&R Update (Reclamation/NTUA/Navajo Nation)

a. Operation Update (NTUA/Navajo Nation)

i. SMA working with NTUA and Jacobs to complete the SCADA network

b. Reaches 24 – 26 Construction Closeout and JAN Water Delivery (Navajo 

Nation/NTUA/SMA)

i. Construction is complete. Working on closeout information to NTUA.

ii. NTUA interested in a single Emergency Response Plan to cover the entire 

Cutter Lateral

iii. JAN connection

i. Primarily complete with punch list items to be completed

ii. Flows expected in spring-2023

iv. 24.1 Lybrook

i. Nearly at 30% design

ii. Working to complete ROW for submission

iii. Construction expected in ~2 years

c. Area-Wide Optimization Program (Reclamation)

i. Voluntary program

ii. Discussion ongoing regarding future participation

 

WATER TREATMENT

22. Regulatory Issues (Reclamation)
 . SJL Disinfection By-Product Study Update – TSC working on completing the study. 

Should have report complete in January 2023

a. Corrosion Control Study

i. A corrosion test skid has been added to the Pilot Study skid using pipe coupons 

from Gallup.

ii. Testing and Sampling is underway.

 

23. San Juan Lateral Water Treatment Plant (Reclamation)

a. Appraisal Level Design Update 

i. Comparison costs available Jan/Feb 2023

ii. On-site GAC generation to be discussed at Review C

b. UF/NF Membranes Pilot Study- see presentation

i. Data collection is underway

ii. Information will be sent out via amendment to the NGWSP SJLWTP Notice on 

SAM.gov

iii. Capital costs and operational costs to be compared between UF/NF and 

Conventional/GAC

c. SJLWTP Sizing Basis of Design – PIN 022.4

i. Being drafted

d. Industry Day Re-cap

i. Held Nov 8-9

ii. Received good feedback

iii. Reviewing procurement method and better defining spec package

iv. Looking to release amendment in December with revisions

v. Technical Criteria Package was sent to Stakeholders

vi. Review C scheduled Dec 19-21 - looking for feedback on spec package

vii. RFQ Mar 1

viii. RFP (shortlisted 2-3 firms) in mid-summer

 

PROJECT WIDE

 

24. Upcoming PINs / Modified PINs (Reclamation)

a. PIN 022.4 – Add Startup Flows for SJLWTP – To be updated once WTP Sizing Basis of 

Design is finalized

b. PIN 024.3 – Water Storage Tank Materials – Recommend eliminating bolted steel tanks 

due to ongoing leaks and increased O&M needs on recently installed projects – Sending 

for signatures by end of month

c. PIN 027.1 – Cutter Turnout Flows – Being updated to add start-up flows - will be sent in 

December

d. PIN 034 – SJ Lateral Storage – FCCO updating to reflect latest designs and will send as 

draft in December

e. PIN 038.1 – In-Tank Chlorination Systems, Water Quality Sampling, Pre-use 

Monitoring, and Tank Penetrations – Circulate for signatures in December

f. PIN 039.1 – SJLWTP Site Selection – Sending for signatures soon

g. PIN 045 – Reallocation of Funds from Shiprock Connection to other Priority Connections 

– Navajo Nation to send letter rescinding request

h. PIN 049 – Pumping Plant #1 Location – draft to be sent winter 2022/2023

 

25. Cultural Resources Compliance – Project-Wide (Reclamation)

a. Nearly entire project has been surveyed

i. PP8 and 24.1 Lybrook recently completed

ii. Reaches 1-3 recently surveyed
b. Crownpoint data recovery is ongoing and being completed reach-by-reach

i. Remote sensing being completed

c. Mitigation program

i. Working to kick-off non-traditional/off-site mitigation

d. Tribal Construction Monitoring program continuing on City of Gallup reaches

 

26. Environmental Compliance – Project-Wide (Reclamation)

a. 4a/b - working toward sampling and clean-up of asbestos

b. Revegetation plan

i. Submitted in Sep 2021

ii. BIA working on routing for signatures to then send to the Navajo Nation

c. NEPA

i. SJL EA - only BIA FONSI needed

ii. BBN9 EA

i. USBR completed this week and ready for FONSI signature

ii. BIA to complete FONSI

 

27. Power Transmission (Reclamation)

a. San Juan Lateral Status (NTUA)

i. Power to Pumping Plants #4 and #7

i. NTUA power at PP4 and almost ready at PP7 (temporary)

ii. Permanent power will be available in March

ii. Power to Block 9-11 Rectifiers

i. In NTUA's contract

iii. Power to Block 4C-8 Rectifiers

i. NTUA to estimate cost

iv. 115kV Powerline Construction

i. Design complete

ii. Ready to move into construction shortly

b. Power Supply Agreements

i. Interim agreement CoG to provide power

ii. NTUA agreement will be completed shortly

c. Cutter Lateral Renewable Energy Feasibility Study w/NREL (WCAO)

i. Report forthcoming

ii. Amendment proposal that may provide funding for renewable energy on the 

Cutter Lateral

 

28. SCADA/Cybersecurity (Reclamation)

a. NTUA working with USBR

b. Mtg on-site took place

c. Compliance expected complete in spring 2023

 

29. Budget (Reclamation)

a. FY2023 Requested Construction Budget: $136,583,000

i. Mandatory - $136,583,000 (through Bipartisan Infrastructure Law)

ii. Discretionary - $0

b. NM Cost-Share Update/Status

i. In October, the State received its final cost-share credit marking the completion 

of their $50 million obligation

c. City of Gallup Credit Request Status

i. Gallup's most recent request was applied to their most recent bill

d. 1st Quarter FY2023 Bills
i. These were sent and funds being received

ii. 2nd Quarter will be sent early January

 

30. Design and Procurement Schedule - updated and included on SharePoint

 

31. Information Sharing / Public Outreach (Reclamation)

a. Quarterly Newsletter

b. Cutter Lateral WTP was awarded Best Water and Environmental Project in the region

i. Plaque will be posted at Cutter Lateral WTP

ii. Nominated for national award in spring

 

32. Action items and assignments (Reclamation)

 

33. Schedule next PCC meeting – Jan, 26, 2023 – in-person with virtual option