In fall 2008, the Environmental Impact Report was certified for the Seasonal Storage project. No alternative was selected for the Seasonal Storage Project because changing conditions have eliminated the need for more storage at this time.

The objectives of the Seasonal Storage Project (SSP) were to provide additional storage so more recycled water could be reused and to help manage discharge in compliance with regulations. The SSP EIR evaluated the environmental impacts of five alternatives for recycled water storage ponds.

However, as the SSP alternatives were being studied, another solution emerged: An amended agreement with Calpine, entitled the Geysers Expansion Project (GEP), takes advantage of the untapped Geysers Recharge Project’s potential by increasing the delivery of recycled water to the Geysers steamfield from 4 billion gallons (BG) per year to as much as 7.1 BG per year. Calpine, the operator of the steamfield, pays the City of Santa Rosa $300,000 per year for the water, which is injected into the ground to produce steam that generates enough “green” power to supply up to 100,000 homes with electricity.

While more storage may be needed in the future, the GEP eliminates the need for additional storage at this time and it allows the City to meet its objective to reuse more recycled water at a much lower cost.