In an effort to diversify its water supply, Signal Hill is entering an agreement with the City of Long Beach to purchase clean water for its reserves.
At its Oct. 13 city council meeting, Signal Hill approved an agreement with Long Beach Utilities, something Mayor Tina Hansen said has been in talks for years. Public Works began solidifying this agreement with Long Beach last summer, said department director Gabino Luna.
The goal of this agreement is to provide Signal Hill with greater flexibility, especially as the City continues to rehabilitate its wells and reservoirs, and is still building well 10. Water from Long Beach Utilities will also be considerably cheaper than water the City has been purchasing from the Metropolitan Water District (MWD).
Signal Hill’s longstanding goal, according to its Urban Water Management Plan, is to prioritize the use of groundwater over imported water.
Water from Long Beach will travel through an emergency connection on Brayton Avenue and Wardlow Road, then be stored in the Gundry Reservoir. Following unanimous approval from Signal Hill City Council, the State Water Resources Control Board still has to approve the permit and Signal Hill will conduct a water sample test.
The City also has to figure out the chemical balance to treat the water coming into the Gundry Reservoir to make sure it mixes well with the water already in there.
Signal Hill currently has multiple water supply sources:
| Supply | Zone Supplied | Capacity in Gallons per Minute (GPM) |
| Well 7 | Supplies Gundry Reservoir | 850 GPM |
| Well 9 | Supplies Zone 1 | 50 GPM |
| Well 10 | Supplies Gundry Reservoir | Pending |
| Metropolitan Water District | Supplies Zone 1 | 3,142 GPM |
| Lakewood (emergency) | Supplies Gundry Reservoir | Pending |
| Long Beach (emergency) | Supplies Gundry Reservoir | Pending |
Signal Hill is required to have 1,982 GPM on-hand for any given day, but by 2045, they’ll be required to have 2,353 GPM for a maximum daily demand.
Signal Hill utilizes water from wells 7 and 10, which have a combined capacity of 2,200 GPM, during the high-water-use months between March and October. From November through February, when water use is lower, well 9 is primarily used, which contains between 1,700 and 1,850 GPM. If needed, the city can still tap into wells 7 and 10 during this time.
Public Works also anticipates the City will have to shut down wells periodically for rehabilitation, inspections and routine upkeep, further underlining their need for the Long Beach interconnection. They estimate an annual cost savings of around $150,000 from the water they’ll be getting from Long Beach versus purchasing from the MWD.
Luna expects Signal Hill can begin purchasing water from Long Beach in the spring of next year.
