ARCHIVED REPORTS_DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT

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began in 1959 and since then the WQCF has undergone several major expansions. The objectives of the proposed project are: ► provide sufficient conveyance and treatment capacity to meet projected growth within the City of Manteca's WQCF service area through the year 2023; ► provide for orderly and cost-effective expansion of City WQCF facilities and conveyance systems; ► comply with current water quality standards and provide flexibility to address changes in standards and regulations; and ► address community concerns in relation to the planning, design, construction, and operation of City WQCF and collection system facilities and programs. The existing WQCF and wastewater collection system constitute a large-scale wastewater collection,treatment, and disposal system,representing a substantial public investment. The WQCF is located on 210 acres of land surrounded by areas that are undergoing rapid urbanization. The relatively large project site provides sufficient land for the treatment facility and its proposed expansion,plus a buffer from urbanizing land uses. It is located at the terminus of several trunk sewers that convey sewage from all areas of the city,and this also represents a substantial public investment. This substantial public investment(represented by existing facilities),the urbanizing nature of the area, and the location of wastewater conveyance and effluent outfall pipelines all serve to limit feasible alternatives. An alternative location for the plant is not feasible. The project also provides a crucial need: collection,treatment and disposal of wastewater for over 63,000 people. Consequently, alternatives to the project are limited to how the wastewater is treated,how it is disposed, and the location of wastewater collection system, effluent outfall, and recycled water distribution system pipelines and facilities. As a practical matter, only three general options are available for wastewater disposal: wastewater may be treated and discharged to surface waters;treated and discharged to land; or treated, stored,and reused for landscape irrigation,agricultural irrigation,wetland creation or enhancement, or other uses. The City currently treats wastewater for discharge to the San Joaquin River,with a small(0.87 mgd)on-site agricultural land application component. 7.3 ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS Based on the above discussion,the City identified and this EIR evaluates four alternatives to the proposed project: No Project Alternative (9.87 mgd); Increased Land Disposal Alternative; Advanced Wastewater Treatment Alternative; and Modified Pipeline Alignment Alternative. Other alternatives were considered, including an off- site location and an offsets alternative. These other alternatives are discussed in Section 7.4, "Alternatives Eliminated from Detailed Consideration."The Modified Pipeline Alignment Alternative focuses on impacts associated with wastewater collection system,treated effluent outfall, and recycled water distribution system pipelines. Each of the four alternatives to the proposed project is analyzed below. For each alternative, a description of the alternative is followed by an analysis of impacts. The impact analyses are primarily qualitative. To avoid unnecessary redundancy in the analysis, summary statements have been provided whenever possible to indicate whether the impacts of the alternative under consideration are greater than, similar to, or less than those of the project. 7.3.1 NO PROJECT ALTERNATIVE (9.57 MGD Under the No Project Alternative (9.87 mgd),the 2007 WQCF and 2006 collection system master plans would not be implemented, and discharge at the WQCF would not exceed the currently permitted discharge rate of 9.87 EDAW Manteca WQCF and Collection System Master Plans EIR Alternatives to the Proposed Project 7-2 City of Manteca