SCOTTS VALLEY >> The city of Santa Cruz Water Department and Scotts Valley Water District will hold a community meeting next month to discuss the construction on an intertie project that will connect the water supplies of the two agencies.

According to an announcement from the city of Santa Cruz, “The critically important project will dramatically increase system resilience, improve emergency preparedness and ensure the availability of reliable, safe drinking water for customers of both agencies.”

The construction of the intertie project is slated to begin later this month and will be ongoing for about a year, according to the statement from the city. Once construction starts, work hours will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and traffic impacts from the construction are expected.

The intertie project consists of the placement of two miles of new pipeline and pump station, and will serve as the final component to connect public water systems from Boulder Creek to La Selva Beach.

The new length of pipeline will run along La Madrona Drive, Sims Road and Firehouse Lane in Pasatiempo. The pipeline will connect the Santa Cruz Water Department’s Kite Hill Tanks to the new pump station, which will be located at 6000 La Madrona Drive.

The path of the pipeline was chosen to minimize and avoid damage to the surrounding environment. According to the city, habitat restoration is a component of the project and includes native plant seeding, protecting rare plants and removing invasive and non-native species in work areas.

The project is funded in part by a $6.5 million grant from the California Department of Water Resources and cost-sharing between the two water agencies.

The Santa Cruz Water Department serves about 100,000 customers and manages about 4,000 acres of watershed lands.

The Scotts Valley Water District serves the city of Scotts Valley and unincorporated areas north of the city.

The two agencies will hold a community meeting from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Feb. 4 in the Santa Margarita Room at the Scotts Valley Water District, 2 Civic Center Drive.

For information, visit cityofsantacruz.com/scottsvalleyintertie.