The Pleasanton City Council is set Tuesday to debate a new capital investment project that would develop and analyze water supply alternatives for the city.

The city owns and operates three well facilities that provide approximately 20% of its annual water supply. The remaining water is purchased from the Zone 7 Water Agency.

Over the last several years, city officials have discovered PFAS in the city's groundwater supply facilities -- specifically in those city-maintained wells. PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are long-lasting chemicals, components of which break down very slowly over time, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Apart from finding PFAS chemicals, the city also found that the well facilities built in the 1960s are reaching the end of their useful lives and require rehabilitation or replacement.

One way that the city was planning on addressing these issues was through the PFAS treatment and wells rehabilitation project, which the council put on pause back in September.

The idea was to treat and rehabilitate wells 5, 6 and 8 in Pleasanton and to create a new centralized treatment facility for PFAS treatment, disinfection and fluoridation. But at the Sept. 6 meeting, the City Council voted to have staff look for alternatives to the project because of the project's original price-tag of $46 million including design, construction and supporting services.

"Given the increasing costs of PFAS treatment, regulatory uncertainty and long-term operational commitments, it is prudent for the city to consider other water supply alternatives before proceeding with the PFAS treatment project," the staff report reads.

The two alternatives that staff will present to the council on Tuesday are using the city's current groundwater by locating areas without PFAS and building new wells there, or purchasing 100% of the city's water from an outside distributor like the Zone 7 Water Agency.

According to the staff report, staff will also be asking the council to designate $363,755 from the city's water fund to cover the $100,000 costs for as-needed legal services associated with the project and to enter an agreement with environmental firm Brown and Caldwell.

If the council approves the new project, the firm will enter into a $263,755 contract with the city to develop a full list of alternatives and then work with the city to rank and compare each one.

The City Council meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday (Oct. 18). The full agenda can be accessed here.

In other business

* Council members will be reviewing and possibly approving a first reading of an ordinance that would increase their own salaries by as much as 10%.

The proposed salaries change would result in an increase of $120.17 per month for each elected official resulting in a new salary of $1,321.92 for council members and $1,421.92 for the mayor.

According to the staff report, the city's municipal code concerning council member salaries allows the council to update the salary every calendar year per state law. The last increase was in 2019, which took effect after the start of the next council term in December 2020.

If approved, the salary increase would go into effect for the upcoming council starting in December.

* There will be two presentations during the meeting's open to the public section, one on recognizing the 40th anniversary of the Hacienda Business Park and the other recognizing October as Hindu American awareness and appreciation month.

According to the Hindu American Foundation website, the foundation has been working since 2013 to recognize October as Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month.

"October is significant because it is the birth month of Mahatma Gandhi and is often when major Hindu holidays such as Navaratri and Diwali are celebrated," the website states. "Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month resolutions seek to bring local awareness, recognition and acknowledgment of the significant contributions made by Hindu Americans across the US."