Fairfield was scheduled to consider the North Bay Regional Water Treatment Plant Fairfield-Vacaville Water Works Project and its proposed declaration on October 13, 2026.
The plant is jointly operated by Vacaville and Fairfield, according to a City of Fairfield agenda report. As reported by the Daily Republic, the project is intended to increase capacity, reliability and resiliency to serve existing and planned water demands in the two cities’ service areas.
What the Expansion Would Actually Build
Per the Daily Republic's reporting, the project includes expansion and modernization of the existing treatment plant, related pumping and support facilities, and a new treated-water transmission pipeline connecting the plant to Vacaville's water distribution system. The outlet also reports the upgrade would expand treatment capacity from 52.7 million gallons per day to 65 million gallons per day.
Fairfield estimates its own share of the project at $53 million, the Daily Republic reports, while Vacaville's share of the costs was not immediately available. The bulk of the expansion's cost is slated to be funded through State Water Resources Control Board financing programs, using State Revolving Fund loans and SAFER grants, according to the same report.
Financial Planning Already Underway
City records show the financial groundwork for the project was already taking shape months before this week's vote. A July 2026 professional services agreement describes financial planning and financing support services for both Vacaville and Fairfield, with the first task being development of a long-term financial model for Vacaville's water enterprise.
The financial planning follows an earlier engineering and management services program described in a December 2024 Fairfield agenda report, which set a not-to-exceed amount of $1,993,100, with Fairfield contributing $945,050 and Vacaville contributing $1,048,050 toward that program.
Environmental Review and Mitigation Measures
Fairfield has determined that potentially significant environmental effects could be reduced to less-than-significant levels through mitigation measures, according to the Daily Republic's account of the council action. Those measures are described as addressing biological, cultural, tribal cultural, geologic, hazardous materials, noise and wildfire impacts or resources.
Earlier Public Safety Funding
In 2021, the Vacaville City Council approved $150,195 in COPS funding.
