Vallemar Sewer and Water Relocation Project
Summary
SCH Number
2026050342
Public Agency
San Mateo County Resource Conservation District
(SMCRCD)
Document Title
Vallemar Sewer and Water Relocation Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
5/8/2026
Document Description
The Vallemar Sewer and Water Relocation Project will protect water quality in the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve while safeguarding essential utility services in the Montara and Moss Beach communities. The Project will relocate, replace, and upgrade critical sewer and water infrastructure, including 1) relocating sewer service from a rapidly eroding cliff above the ocean to Vallemar St above, 2) replacing the degraded sewer pipe above Dean Creek, 3) upgrading fragile and undersized water pipes to prevent chlorinated water from entering the ocean, and 4) relocating water pipes that are currently below sewer pipes, increasing the risk of contamination of drinking water. In addition to protecting water qualify by preventing a catastrophic sewer spill into the ocean or creek, these upgrades will improve community wildfire resilience by pressurizing the water system for better emergency response capacity. The total combined amount of sewer and water pipes that will be replaced, relocated, or installed is approximately 9,225 linear ft. The project size is less than three acres including all areas of disturbance and staging areas.
Contact Information
Name
Colleen McNally-Murphy
Agency Name
San Mateo Resource Conservation District
Job Title
Conservation Project Manager
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Coordinates
Cities
Moss Beach
Counties
San Mateo
Regions
San Francisco Bay Area
Cross Streets
Vallemar St and Highway 1
Zip
94038
Total Acres
2.1
Jobs
10
Parcel #
037086010, 037086020, 037086030, 037086040, 037086060, 037086070, 037086080, 037086090, 03708601
State Highways
Highway 1
Airports
Half Moon Bay Airport
Schools
Farallone View Elementary, Coastside Art Academy
Waterways
Pacific Ocean, Dean Creek, Montara Creek, San Vicente Creek, Denniston Creek,
Township
T05S
Range
R06W
Base
MDBM
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 33, Sections 15301 and 15302
Reasons for Exemption
As described below, the Project meets the CEQA criteria for exemption from environmental review under Class 33, Section 15301 and 15302. These sections of the guidelines describe operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, licensing, or minor alteration of Existing Facilities (Section 15301) and the Replacement or Reconstruction of existing structures and facilities, specifically including utility systems (Section 15302).
Class 1 (CEQA State Guidelines, Section 15301) Existing Facilities:
Class 1 consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. The types of "existing facilities" itemized below are not intended to be all-inclusive of the types of projects which might fall within Class 1. The key consideration is whether the project involves negligible or no expansion of use.
Examples include but are not limited to:
(b) Existing facilities of both investor and publicly-owned utilities used to provide electric power, natural gas, sewerage, or other public utility services.
The project involves routine repair, maintenance, and minor alteration of existing sewer and water utility facilities in coordination with the Montara Water and Sanitary District. These activities are necessary to maintain continued operation of existing infrastructure and do not result in an expansion of use or capacity. Any proposed pipe relocations would occur within areas with existing sewer and water infrastructure and would not extend service to new areas. The project therefore qualifies for a Class 1 categorical exemption pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301.
Class 2 (CEQA State Guidelines, Section 15302) Replacement or Reconstruction:
Class 2 consists of replacement or reconstruction of existing structures and facilities where the new structure will be located on the same site as the structure replaced and will have substantially the same purpose and capacity as the structure replaced, including but not limited to:
(c) Replacement or reconstruction of existing utility systems and/or facilities involving negligible or no expansion of capacity.
The proposed project involves the replacement of existing, degraded sewer and water pipes and outdated underground infrastructure with new, secure facilities designed to protect water quality and restore original flow capacity. The Dean Creek sewer line replacement and associated underground pipe upgrades would occur on the same alignment and site as the existing facilities being replaced and would serve the same purpose and capacity. The project does not involve an expansion of use or an increase in service capacity and therefore qualifies for a Class 2 categorical exemption pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15302.
The project would be exempt under the above-cited classifications as it involves protection of the marine ecosystem and the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. The goals of this project are to relocate, replace, or upgrade existing at-risk critical sewer and water infrastructure.
CEQA State Guidelines Section 15300.2 states that a categorical exemption shall not be used for an activity where there is a reasonable possibility that the activity will have a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances. As described above, there are no usual circumstances surrounding the proposed project that would suggest a reasonable possibility for a significant environmental effect.
County Clerk
San Mateo
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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