Project Description:
The City of Beverly Hills is in the process of designing two groundwater wells (the Le Doux well and the Gregory well) in the unadjudicated portion of the Central Basin (La Brea subarea). In addition, this project will include a water line that would connect the future production wells to the City’s existing raw water transmission main that leads to the Foothill Water Treatment Plant (WTP) for treatment and supply. This project will support improvement of local water supply reliability for the City by developing up to 900 acre feet per year (AFY) of new potable water supply. The Le Doux well (LCW-2) will be located at the southwest corner of La Cienega Park near the intersection of Le Doux Road and Olympic Boulevard. The Gregory well (LCW-3) will be located at the northeast corner of the park near the intersection of Greagory Way and Gale Drive.
Background:
The 2015 Water Enterprise Plan (WEP) evaluated and identified several options for the City of Beverly Hills to reduce its dependence on the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) imported water and increase its water reliability. Those options included several recommendations including increased conservation measures, groundwater development, water banking, recycled water and other supply alternatives. The City chose the recommended option to pursue and revamp its groundwater development in the unadjudicated portion of the Central Basin (La Brea subarea). Consequently, a Preliminary Design Report (PDR) was prepared by Hazen & Sawyer that evaluated the viability of installing three additional groundwater wells in the Central Basin, conveyance pipeline, and treatment at the existing Foothill Water Treatment Plant.
The first well, LCW-1, was constructed on a City owned property located at 1956 Chariton Street in Los Angeles. This construction began in early 2020 and was completed earlier this year. The raw water transmission main from LCW-1 to the WTP was constructed between June 2020 and June 2021. Since the development of LCW-1 started in 2020, staff has continued to search for other properties that may be suitable for groundwater production wells. Unfortunately, no suitable properties were acquired. To supplement groundwater supply, staff was instructed to pursue construction of wells at La Cienega Park.
Below are renderings of the two wells:
Le Doux Well
Gregory Well
Click Here for: Well 2 and 3 Class 32 Categorical Exemption Report
COMMUNITY MEETING:
Took place on November 8th at 6pm. For more information regarding the meeting please contact: AskPW@beverlyhills.org .
Click here to view the presentation: Wells 2 & 3- Community Meeting 11-8-23 Presentation
- Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the water going to supply?
Answer: Once treated, the water will be placed into the distribution system for customers in Beverly Hills and parts of West Hollywood.
How much groundwater will each well produce?
Answer: Each well is estimated to produce approximately 250 gallons per minute when in operation. We hope both wells together will produce 2.5 to 3 million gallons per week.
Once the wells are in operation, what will the impact be on the trees?
Answer: There should be no impact to the trees since the future wells will be 500 ft. deep.
Will there be impacts, like water shut-offs, to residents or local businesses?
Answer: No, this project will not cause any water shut-offs. The future wells will feed a groundwater pipeline system, which is separate from the potable water system.
Will there be any traffic impact on Gregory Way or Le Doux Road?
Answer: There may be minor traffic impacts when setting up the construction sites. Once set up, there will not be any major traffic impacts on either street. The contractor will maintain 2-way traffic and take out 8 to 10 metered parking spaces. The sidewalk will be closed on the east side of Le Doux Road and on the south side of Gregory Way.
What are the working hours?
Answer: Typical construction hours are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 6 PM, excluding holidays. On occasion, during crucial moments in the drilling process, it may be necessary to allow the contractor to work past 6 PM.
Who is the CEQA exemption for….the City of Los Angeles or Beverly Hills?
Answer: The City of Beverly Hills will be the lead agency to consider the CEQA exemption.
Were residents on Schumacker Drive notified?
Answer: Residents within a 500-foot radius of each proposed well were sent the community meeting notice. Therefore, only the residents on Schumacker Drive within 500 feet of the proposed Gregory well received the notice.
What is the timeline for this project?
This project will be presented to City Council on Nov. 21, 2023 for approval. Assuming the project is approved and found exempt from CEQA, the drilling contract will be advertised for a bid in Jan. 2024. The drilling contractor is expected to start work in March or April 2024. The well equipping project will go out to bid in December 2024.
How long can the wells be used?
Answer: With proper well management, we hope to have sustainable use of the wells for decades to come.
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