Water Utilities Supply Chain Challenges and Case Studies Self -Reliance and the City of Fort Bragg


Water Utilities Supply Chain
Challenges and Case Studies:

SELF-RELIANCE AND THE CITY OF FORT BRAGG

The City of Fort Bragg is a small town (pop. 8,000)
on the northern coast of California. Their water
system relies on three surface water sources:
Waterfall Gulch (tributary to Hare Creek), Newman
Gulch (tributary to Noyo River), and the Noyo River
itself. The two tributary sources generally provide
a higher quality of raw water as they gravity-feed
to the water treatment plant, whereas water from
the city's Noyo River diversion must be pumped. As
summer progresses and the flows in the tributary
streams diminish, the Noyo River diversion is used
more frequently and in greater quantities.

Fort Bragg is geographically isolated, and the
city's utility departments often make decisions
that consider reliability and resilience due to their
remote location. In 2013, the drinking water utility
decided to upgrade its secondary chlorination and
dosing system. Staff recognized that their distance
from main logistics routes meant that trucked-in
commercial strength sodium hypochlorite (bleach)
would not only remain expensive, but also be
potentially difficult to obtain in an emergency.

However, this was not the only challenge facing
the city's water supply. Rising sea levels are also
changing water quality within the Noyo River, and
saline conditions now extend further upstream in
the river during high tide than in years past. This is
problematic because in the summer the city relies
on its Noyo River intake as upstream tributaries go
dry due to climate change-induced drought.

To help alleviate both conditions, the city
partnered with residents and local businesses
on water conservation efforts to better utilize the
community's water supply. Free water conservation

kits containing water capturing devices were
made available. Additionally, the city provided
local businesses with pre-printed, free table tents
that remind visitors to conserve. One table tent
is targeted to restaurant patrons and the other
table tent is targeted to overnight guests. While
conservation efforts have been helpful in promoting
thoughtful water use in the face of water shortages
and system isolation, the city knew it had to do
more to increase supply chain resilience.

To end its reliance on trucked sodium hypochlorite
deliveries, the city selected on-site sodium
hypochlorite generation (OSI-IG) as its primary
means of disinfection. OS IIG utilizes an electrolytic
process to convert a salt brine solution into a low
concentration sodium hypochlorite solution (8,000
ppm). With the OSI-IG the utility must ensure that
it has both salt and electricity on-hand to generate

"We are a remote municipality
and have had issues in the past
getting reliable deliveries of bulk
hypochlorite. The reliability of the
OSHG system has been excellent
and has improved the resiliency of
our department significantly"

- Heath Daniels, Operation Manager

Combating Isolation

The Challenge

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bleach for water disinfection. Fortunately, NSF-60 approved salt is available from the local hardware
store in town, and it can be stockpiled and stored for long periods. Although the city's electricity can be
unreliable due to practices such as the Public Safety Power Shu I off program during wildfire season, the city
purchased diesel generators for ail its critical utility facilities. The OSHG system came online in 2015 and
has proven to be an effective and reliable solution. The city will be transitioning its wastewater treatment
plant to a similar system shortly.

Now self-reliant for disinfection at the drinking water treatment plant, the city had to face its water shortage
challenges. In 2021 drought conditions meant that the utility was faced with drawing water from its
emergency reservoir to bolster its supply. Instead, the city decided to install, under emergency conditions,
a temporary desalination-reverse osmosis system that can treat up to 144,000 gallons per day from the
Noyo River. Fort Bragg's new desalination unit is sized to release desalinated water into a raw water pond
that flows into the city's existing treatment plant. Mounted on a steel skid, it can produce 200 gallons per
minute of desalinated water.

John Smith, Director of Public Works, stated that "Due to the dire water shortages facing our water customers,
the city's water system is using technology and innovation to help us through this drought."

Your state primacy agency can be your ally

The city used the state's Urgent Drinking
Water Needs Program which fully funded
Fort Bragg's grant request of $691,796. This
paid for the desalination unit as well as a
shallow groundwater well treatment system
that can produce 57,000 gallons of water
a day. The city initially applied for funding
in late May 2021 and start-up testing of
the desalination unit began at the end of
September 2021.

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Lessons Learned

Fort Bragg has many lessons to share after years of
remote operation:

• All treatment chemicals and other needed
materials (e.g., pipes) should be ordered early
and storage should be maximized, being
mindful of any shelf-life limits. These efforts
can mitigate supply disruptions and prolong
existing supply.

• Haveaback-uptoyourback-up Fort Bragg has
been approved to use a commercially available
solid form of a chlorine-based disinfectant
in case they cannot generate sodium
hypochlorite. The city has also identified two
back-up analytical laboratories for when their
own lab cannot operate (as occurred recently
when growth media was in very short supply).

• If you are a combined utility, be sure all your
operators are dual certified This is helpful

if staff shortages occur due to events such as
COVID-19, especially in smaller utilities with
minimal staff.

• Utilize all latent staff skills. Many of the city's
utility employees are former millwrights and
industrial electricians, and their former career
skills are leveraged at both the city's drinking
water and wastewater utilities.

• If you are going to impose water conservation
measures, start with voluntary measures first

This prepares customers for future mandatory
restrictions and gives everyone a chance to
meet reduction goals prior to any compulsory
limits that could be put into place.

Additional Resources

You can find more information on using
supply chain management best practices
and preparing for supply chain challenges
at https://www.eDa.aov/waterutilitvresDonse/
water-and-wastewater-sector-suDolv-chain-
resilience.

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Preparing for and responding to supply chain challenges requires a multi-pronged approach. When it
comes to shortages, ingenuity and creativity can help save the day.

Office of Water (4608T)

EPA 830-F22-003

July 2022

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