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The $24 million Pipeline 5 Relining Project in Fallbrook is expected to conclude in summer 2019. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority

Pipeline 5 Upgrades Begin in Fallbrook

A $25.3 million Pipeline 5 relining project is under way in North County to improve the reliability of the San Diego region’s water delivery system. The project involves rehabilitating approximately 2.3 miles of one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s regional wholesale water pipelines in eight segments along a 9.5-mile stretch through the community of Fallbrook.

Construction work will be done in phases and completed in summer 2019. When finished, the Pipeline 5 Relining Project will help extend the service life of this vital piece of infrastructure for more than 75 years. Generally, relining construction rehabilitates segments of pipelines based on their age and the need for improvements.

Relining process advances in well-planned stages

Construction activities in Fallbrook began September 19 with the installation of protecting fencing, establishing an entrance to the construction area, and clearing the site of all vegetation and debris for safety. The relining itself will begin in November.

In broad terms, the relining process begins with dirt being excavated to create an access portal or work area. The construction crews will conduct most of the work underground, inside the pipe. They will access the pipe by excavating, establishing, and entering the pipeline through nine access sites, or portals. The portals will be 25-foot by 60-foot excavated pits, spaced approximately 525 to 2,500 feet apart. At each portal site, 40 feet of existing pipe is removed to permit access inside the pipe to install relining materials.

The work involves removing 20-foot sections of old concrete pipe at each portals. Then, new steel liners are inserted into the existing pipe using a specialized pipe cart. Liners are installed into the entire pipe section. Once installed, the joints of the liner pipe are welded together. Each new steel liner is coated with a cement mortar lining. Finally, portals are backfilled and — after pipeline disinfection — the pipe is ready to be put back into service.

Community kept informed about project’s progress

Much of the construction work associated with the project is in Water Authority rights-of-way. Some portals within the unincorporated San Diego County portion of the alignment will be in undeveloped areas.

As people living and working in the area begin to see the activity, project team members will be available to address questions or concerns. Contact information including 24-hour phone numbers, email contacts, and website links are posted on nine informational signs along the construction route. Construction workers on site will also have contact information to pass out on request.

For more information, residents can call the 24-hour project information line at (877) 682-9283, ext. 7009 or email . A representative from the project team will respond within one business day.

Pipeline upgrades ensure safe, reliable water supplies

The Water Authority’s large-diameter pipelines extend approximately 310 miles to convey water throughout western San Diego County. Approximately 82 miles of these pipelines were installed between the early 1960s and late 1980s with pre-stressed concrete cylinder pipes, or PCCP, made from a combination of steel and concrete. First used during World War II to help minimize the use of precious steel, this pipeline type is used extensively around the world.

Numerous failures of similar pipes nationwide prompted the Water Authority to take proactive measures to reinforce its PCCP type pipelines with steel liners in an strategic, multi-decade program starting in 1991.

In addition, in 2003 the Water Authority started using an innovative carbon fiber technology to conduct urgent pipeline repairs, helping ensure a safe and reliable water supply to the region.

When the Fallbrook project is finished, the Water Authority will have rehabilitated approximately 47 miles of PCCP — more than half of the total in the Water Authority system.

California’s Dry October Could be a Sign of More Concentrated Rainy Seasons

The first part of fall has been dry so far in California, and that trend might continue. UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said it’s not unusual for rain to be scarce in October, but that dry conditions – like the ones forecast over the next few weeks – are increasingly being pushed deeper into autumn. “We expect there to be a further concentration of California’s already narrow rainy season into even fewer months during just the middle of winter,” Swain said, as laid out in his recent blog post. Swain’s research suggests this trend is already evident, especially in Southern California.

Pipeline 5 Upgrades Begin in Fallbrook

A $25.3 million Pipeline 5 relining project is under way in North County to improve the reliability of the San Diego region’s water delivery system. The project involves rehabilitating approximately 2.3 miles of one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s regional wholesale water pipelines in eight segments along a 9.5-mile stretch through the community of Fallbrook. Construction work will be done in phases and completed in summer 2019. When finished, the Pipeline 5 Relining Project will help extend the service life of this vital piece of infrastructure for more than 75 years. Generally, relining construction rehabilitates segments of pipelines based on their age and the need for improvements.

OPINION: Untangling the Complexities of California’s Proposition 3 Water Bond

On November 6, California voters will decide the fate of Proposition 3 (the Water Supply and Water Quality Act of 2018), which authorizes the sale of $8.9 billion in new general obligation bonds for water-related infrastructure and environmental projects. This includes funds – most of which would be distributed through grants – for various projects related to water supply, watershed health, flood management, groundwater, facility upgrades and fish and wildlife habitat. Many are confused about the bond, and numerous organizations have taken positions supporting or opposing it. We at the Pacific Institute, a California-based think-tank focused on water, are taking no formal position on Proposition 3, opting instead to offer the voting public some insights into its complexities.

Santa Ana Winds to Howl, Blowing Away Spooky Fog Before Halloween

Southern California is getting a taste of fall weather, with spooky dense fog early in the week and howling Santa Ana winds picking up just in time for Halloween. A low, dense fog blanketed much of Southern California on Monday morning, bringing cool weather from Los Angeles to San Diego. In the San Diego region, the widespread fog decreased visibility to less than a quarter-mile and prompted the National Weather Service to issue a hazardous-driving warning. The fog, caused by a shallow marine layer and a lack of wind, was less widespread in the Los Angeles area but was thick along the county’s coast.