Strengthening long-term water reliability
Auburn, Calif. – The Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) Board of Directors has approved a $5.5 million contract to replace some of the region’s most vulnerable pipeline crossings beneath Interstate 80. The work will launch the first phase of PCWA’s I-80 Pipeline Crossing Replacement Project, a long-term initiative to secure water reliability for decades to come.
At its June 5 meeting, the Board awarded the contract to Michels Trenchless Inc. to replace three to four critical crossings that deliver raw water from the Boardman Canal, a key supply source originating at Lake Spaulding. In a streamlined process aimed at completing the new pipelines as quickly as possible while reducing unexpected expenses, design work is scheduled for spring and summer 2025, with construction targeted to begin in early 2026. The majority of the project will be funded through PCWA’s Renewal and Replacement program, which is funded by ratepayers, with the potential for additional funding support from grants.
50 crossings between Roseville and Alta
PCWA owns and operates 50 crossings under I-80 between Roseville and Alta–26 for untreated water and 24 for treated water. All were installed as I-80 was constructed through the Sierra in the 1950s and early 1960s. A study of these pipelines – some nearly 70 years old – showed seven were at “very high risk” of failure, according to staff reports.
The initial project will replace up to four of the most critical crossings that are part of the Boardman Canal, which brings water down from Lake Spaulding. Old and vulnerable, these pipelines are approaching the end of their useful life.
“Highest probability and consequences of failure”
“This is critical infrastructure,” said PCWA Board Chair Robert Dugan. “Failure of the crossings associated with the Boardman Canal would be catastrophic for both our Agency-run treatment plants and wholesale customers,” said Board chairman Robert Dugan. “Replacing and restoring these critical crossings will help ensure that the supply of water continues to be reliable to all parts of our service area and treatment plants.”
More pipelines will be rehabilitated or replaced as the project progresses over the coming years.
“For the first phase, we identified crossings with the highest probability and consequences of failure,” explained project manager Steven Millett, associate engineer for PCWA. “We considered not only the highest risk, but if we could divert water long enough to rehabilitate a crossing instead of drilling a new one. “There’s no redundancy for the Boardman Canal,” Millett added. “It’s incredibly important for the Agency and the reliability of water supply to stay proactive on all replacement and restoration efforts.”
During construction, there will be occasional outages to parts of the canal system that could interrupt service to untreated water customers, who will be notified in advance, staff reports said. Depending on the construction sites, Caltrans may require traffic controls to manage impacts near I-80.
Pilot Program
Under a pilot program, this project will also serve as the Agency’s first use of the Progressive Design-Build (PDB) procurement method as opposed to the traditional Design-Bid-Build method. Approved for water agencies as part of Senate Bill 991, PDB uses a collaborative process to complete difficult and expensive projects with a lot of unknowns.
Unlike the traditional Design-Bid-Build process-where the lowest bid is selected after the design is finalized-PDB allows the contractor to collaborate during the design phase, helping solve challenges early and minimize surprises during construction.
Michels Trenchless Inc., the winning bidder, will work with PCWA staff through the design phase as the project sites are evaluated and pipeline designs created. Once 60% of the design work for Phase 1 is completed, a guaranteed maximum price for construction will be developed. This approach not only speeds up the overall process but can cut down on unexpected expenses.
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