PORT HUENEME : Panels to Consider Potable Water Plan

Four agreements up for approval at today’s joint meeting of the Port Hueneme City Council and the Channel Islands Beach Community Services District represent the next major hurdle on the road to drinkable tap water for Port Hueneme residents.

The water project’s plans call for the construction of a $12.4-million water treatment facility and pipelines to bring water from both the Calleguas Municipal Water District and ground water to the plant. Combining treated ground water and the higher-quality Calleguas water would give residents drinkable water at an affordable price, officials say.

The agreements to be voted on, which would establish connections among six agencies, would effectively secure the sources of imported water and local ground water, said Gerard Kapuscik, general manager of the Channel Islands district.

Approval by both governing bodies at today’s meeting would send the contracts to a Port Hueneme Water Agency meeting Thursday, where the agreements must again be voted on, Kapuscik said.

Kapuscik said he believes all conflicts had been ironed out and that the contracts should be approved, allowing planners to focus on the environmental review process and a request for construction bids.

Building of the pipelines to bring Calleguas water to Port Hueneme and to connect ground water reserves with the new treatment facility could begin early next year, he said. Construction on the plant should begin about six months later.