Major municipal construction contracts to replace reservoirs in Scripps Ranch and a pipeline in Pacific Beach were given tentative approval Wednesday by the San Diego City Council's infrastructure committee.
One of the two, the Miramar Clearwell Improvements project, is considered among Public Utilities Department's top priorities, and city staff is asking for authorization to hire Shimmick Construction for nearly $90 million.
Clearwells 1 and 2, located at the Miramar Water Treatment Plant, are nearing the end of their service lives and don't meet current seismic codes. According to a staff report, inspections during a recent shutdown determined that replacement of the reservoirs, which hold 20.8 million and 31.5 million gallons of treated drinking water, respectively, was "imminently necessary."
The planned replacements would add 6 million gallons of capacity at the facility that serves the water needs for most areas of the city north of Interstate 8.
The project would also result in a new chlorine contact chamber with adjoining lift station, a maintenance building, a new security guard shack with surveillance equipment and fences, and the installation of a 1 megawatt solar power system.
If the deal is given final approval by the full City Council at a future meeting, construction would begin in June, with the new facilities projected to go into service sometime in summer 2020.
Also given a go-ahead was a nearly $34 million agreement with TC Construction for work that would replace around 8.4 miles of mostly cast-iron water pipes running between Crown Point and Middletown, 2.4 miles of sewer mains and demolition of an abandoned reservoir. Both systems were installed in the 1950s.
"Cast-iron means `break,' so it's not only a good thing for the city's infrastructure but the drought as well," according to committee Chairman Mark Kersey, as water would no longer be lost because of broken pipes.
The work is scheduled to begin in July and take place at night in several six- to eight-month stretches over a period of about three years, according to staff. No work will be conducted between Memorial Day and Labor Day, in order to accommodate beach crowds.
The pipelines contract will also have to go to the full City Council for final approval.
