Questions & Answers

Q: What is the El Monte Valley Project?

A: The El Monte Valley Project, as currently envisoned, has three major components:
1. Purified water – The El Monte Valley Project will produce up to five million
gallons of purified water per day – over a year’s time, that’s enough water to
serve 15,000 families – or approximately 15 percent of the District’s total water
demand. The project will purify recycled water using proven advanced water
purification technologies. In addition, the project will improve the groundwater
quality and availability in the El Monte Valley.

Riverbed restoration – The riverbed restoration element is a new and visionary

approach, combining a water supply solution with the additional benefits of
habitat protection and community recreational use. The purified water will help
raise the water table in the El Monte Valley to allow restoration of the riverbed
with native plants and creation of a public recreation area. The recreation area
will provide many benefits for generations to come, including trails for hiking,
mountain biking, and equestrian use, as well as wildlife habitat and educational
opportunities.

Surface (sand) mining – The mining project will take place over a 10 year period
in the central areas of the project site. The mining will help re-contour the
riverbed for the restoration project, produce aggregate to address San Diego
County’s aggregate shortage and generate needed funding for the water and
riverbed restoration components. The mining will be sequenced with restoration
of the site as mining is completed to minimize impacts.

Q: What agencies/entities are behind the El Monte Valley Project?

A: Helix Water District is the sponsoring agency and is partnering with Padre Dam
Municipal Water District.

Q: How does the El Monte Valley Project purify water?

A: The El Monte Valley Project will purify recycled water to near-distilled quality water by
using state-of-the-art membrane technologies that include microfiltration and reverse
osmosis, followed by an additional safety barrier of ultraviolet light and hydrogen
peroxide disinfection. The water will then be pumped into recharge basins in the El
Monte Valley where it will filter naturally through sand and gravel into the groundwater
basin, just like rainwater. This process replicates the way nature purifies water.

After spending at least six months in the groundwater basin, the water will be pumped
from wells and sent to the R.M. Levy Water Treatment Plant in Lakeside, where it will be
treated again using ozone, and will then become drinking water.

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Q: What is microfiltration?
A: Microfiltration is a low-pressure membrane process that removes small suspended
particles, protozoa, bacteria and viruses from water. It is a process used in computer
chip manufacturing, sterilization of medicines that cannot be heated, baby food, fruit
juice and soda beverage processing.

Q: What is reverse osmosis?

A: Reverse osmosis is a high-pressure membrane process used by many bottled water
companies that forces water through a thin membrane to filter out minerals,
contaminants, salts, viruses and pesticides.

Q: What is ultraviolet light and hydrogen peroxide disinfection?

A: These two processes act as an additional barrier of protection, providing extra
assurance that no unwanted contaminants will pass through the purification process.
This process is similar to that used in hospitals and dental offices to sterilize instruments.

Q: What is ozone disinfectant?

A: Helix Water District’s R.M. Levy Water Treatment plant using many technologies
produces drinking water. Ozone is the primary disinfectant and chlorine is the
secondary disinfectant. Ozone is a three atom form of oxygen. It is able to destroy a
wider range of organisms in drinking water than chlorine.

Q: Why is the El Monte Valley Project needed?

A: Ninety percent of San Diego County’s water supply is imported from outside the area,
making San Diego one of the largest counties in the United States dependent on
imported water. Most of Helix Water District’s water supply is imported from the
Colorado River and Northern California. It is in the region’s best interest to produce as
much high-quality water locally as possible, making us less dependent on imported
sources. It will assist the District in meeting current and future demands. In a region
with low rainfall, the need to create a new, drought-proof, sustainable water supply is
becoming more and more urgent.

Q: How is the El Monte Valley Project environmentally responsible?

A: The El Monte Valley Project reuses a valuable resource – water. Instead of discharging
wastewater into the ocean, this project will reuse that water to produce five million
gallons of purified water per day. The project also allows restoration of the San Diego
riverbed with native plants. Lastly the energy consumption to produce purified water
from wastewater is half of the energy usage to import water from Northern California.

Q: What are other benefits of the El Monte Valley Project?

A: The El Monte Valley Project will also provide reliable fire protection in the area.
New fire hydrants will be installed along the extension of a potable water line from the
Padre Dam Municipal Water District.

Q: Why will sand be mined for the El Monte Valley Project?

A: The land use of Helix’s property in El Monte Valley is zoned as extractive use for mining
and the sand is considered a local resource. Mining the sand will be consistent with the
land use designation and will provide a needed local source of sand and gravel. Sand
mining will provide funding for the groundwater recharge and restoration components of
the project. In addition, sand mining in the El Monte Valley will allow the ground

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 elevation to be lowered to be near the groundwater. The groundwater level will support
the restored habitat.

Q: Where is the El Monte Valley Project being built?

A: The advanced water purification facilities will be built at Padre Dam Municipal Water
District as part of the expansion of the Santee Water Recycling Facility. A water pipeline
from the Santee Water Recycling Facility will be built to transport the purified water to
recharge basins, in a 540 acre area owned by Helix Water District in the El Monte
Valley. The water will be percolated or injected and later extracted from the groundwater
basin and returned to the R.M Levy Water Treatment Plant for the final step in the
purification process.

Q: When will the El Monte Valley Project be built?

A: Construction of the water facilities and the mining operation in the El Monte Valley will
begin in early 2013. The water facilities will take two years to complete. The mining
operation will begin in early 2013 and take place over a 10-year period.

Q: What can residents surrounding the El Monte Valley expect during construction of
the recharge facilities and the mining operation?
A: Construction of the recharge facilities will be located around the perimeter of the site and
along the pipeline alignment. The mining operation will be located in the central area of
the site. The mining operation will require an average of approximately 460 truck trips
each day (weekdays between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.). Trucks will enter/exit
from a staging area at the southwestern point of the project site near the Hanson Pond
accessing El Monte Road and travel to either Highway 8 or Highway 67 to deliver the
sand. Groundwater will be used for dust control and temporary irrigation during mining
operations.

Q: What about desalination?

A: The El Monte Valley Project and desalination efforts will complement each other for the
region’s water supply. The reality is that Southern California’s water future is not in the
hands of one project or one technology. Long-term water reliability will require a
combination of many local and regional water projects, with efforts by all water agencies
in Southern California, to meet our future water needs.

Q: Will equestrians and hikers continue to have access to the area?

A: Equestrians and hikers enjoy the El Monte Valley now and will have enhanced facilities
and access to the valley in the future. Helix Water District plans to complete nearly five
miles of horse trails within and around the perimeter of the project. And the District is
making plans to ensure access around the site is available throughout construction.
Temporary trails will be accessible throughout the duration of the sand mining activity.

Q: Will the recharge basins have mosquitoes?

A: The recharge basins will be filled and allowed to drain dry to minimize vectors problems,
such as mosquitoes.

Q: How much will the El Monte Valley Project cost?

A: The overall cost of the El Monte Valley Project including Helix Water District and Padre
Dam Municipal Water District facilities is estimated at $270 million. Helix Water District’s
portion of costs for the El Monte Valley Project is estimated at approximately $50 million
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 for the groundwater recharge facilities and $50 million for the sand mining and
restoration components. Padre Dam’s facilities will be construction in phases with the
first phase of expansion of their Santee Water Recycling Facility costing approximately
$45 million and the second phase of expansion costing $125 million.

Q: Who will pay for the El Monte Valley Project?

A: A mix of local, state and federal funds will pay for the El Monte Valley Project. Funding
sources include revenues from the mining operation and grants from the U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation, Proposition 50 (State of California Water Bond, 2002), San Diego County
Water Authority and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, this project
is a very good candidate for potential funding from Proposition 84 and any future water
bonds approved by the voters. Outside funding will pay for only a portion of the cost of
water. The balance of the cost of this water supply will be charged to the Helix water
customers and be included in a customers water bill.

Q: Will the water be safe?

A: Absolutely. In fact, a separate, independent expert panel formed by the National Water
Research Institute will oversee the development of the advanced water purification
technology to ensure safety. The water will be purified to beyond bottled water quality,
exceeding state and federal drinking water standards.

Q: How do you know the purification process will work?

A: The same technologies that will be used for the El Monte Valley Project are being used
by water agencies around the globe. A similar and much larger project has been
operating successfully in Orange County since 2008.

The reality is that water purification and reuse are not new. For more than 30 years,
people have been drinking some reclaimed water that has been blended into our natural
sources of drinking water supplies. Every major body of water in the nation contains
some amount of purified wastewater.

Q: Who makes sure the water is safe?

A: The El Monte Valley Project must be reviewed, approved and permitted by the California
Department of Health Services and California Regional Water Quality Control Board to
ensure public health, water quality and environmental compliance. The permits require
continuous water quality sampling and testing, and reporting on daily, weekly and
monthly schedules. If the water does not meet water quality requirements, the plant can
be immediately shut down.

Q: How would the El Monte Valley Project help in a drought?

A: Water from the El Monte Valley Project would be available regardless of drought.

Q: Which communities would benefit from the El Monte Valley Project?

A: Helix Water District’s service area includes La Mesa, Spring Valley, Lemon Grove, El
Cajon, parts of Lakeside and Santee, and some unincorporated areas of San Diego
County. In addition water treated at the R.M. Levy Water Treatment plant is delivered
to Otay Water District (Chula Vista), Lakeside Water District (Lakeside), and Padre Dam
Municipal Water District (Santee, Alpine and Crest).

Q: How can the public participate in the decision-making process?

A: The public will have opportunities to provide public comments during the environmental
review process. Additionally, the public can attend Helix Water District Board meetings

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 and provide input during any meeting under the item titled “Public Participation -
Comments from the Public.”

Q: How can the public get more information or set up a group presentation?
A: Helix Water District has an extensive public outreach program under way. Groups can
request a speaker for a presentation by calling (619) 667-6267. Information about the
project is available on our website at www.elmontevalley.com , on Twitter @HelixWater
and our Facebook fan page for the El Monte Valley Project. You can also reach us by
sending an e-mail to ElMonte@helixwater.org.

Q: How can I support the project?

A: You can send a letter of support for the El Monte Valley Project to Helix Water District or
download a support form from the Web site and fax, mail or deliver it to the District at
(619) 466-1823 (fax) or 7811 University Avenue, La Mesa, CA, 91942.