Title
Approval to Apply for DHSEM Hazard Mitigation Grant for Emergency Generators
Recommended Action
I move that the Board of Public Utilities recommend submitting an application to the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management for emergency generators in an amount not to exceed $388,000 and authorize the Utilities Manager to sign the application and forward to Council for approval.
Utilities Manager's Recommendation
The Utilities Manager recommends that the Board consider the motion as presented.
Body
Los Alamos County Emergency Management and DPU Water Production is preparing a grant application through New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to use FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to purchase a backup portable generator for the County’s water production and distribution system. The generator will serve a critical function by ensuring continued water supply during emergency events, particularly in wildfire-prone conditions, such as those experienced during the Cerro Pelado Fire.
The Guaje Canyon Water Production Train includes one municipal water well, a booster station, and a chlorine disinfection and injection system, which supply water to the community. During prolonged power outages, such as those caused by wildfires, the system is vulnerable. Without a generator, the ability to maintain water pressure and supply is compromised, endangering both life and property.
The Guaje Canyon water production system is fed from a single distribution power supply line that consists of a load break switch and connection point for an emergency external power supply source - it is already configured to accept power from a large generator. This system was installed and has been tested with a generator that was borrowed from the UAMPS power pool organization during the 2022 Cerro Pelado wildfire. During the Cerro Pelado Fire, Los Alamos County had to rent a generator to maintain the wate...
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