The City of Encinitas and the Olivenhain Municipal Water District are working together on a project that keeps water supply and traffic flowing.
To prevent water main breaks and ensure reliable service to its customers, Olivenhain Municipal Water District is proactive in its repair and replacement of aging water infrastructure.
The City of Encinitas and the Olivenhain Municipal Water District are working together on a project that keeps water supply and traffic flowing.
To prevent water main breaks and ensure reliable service to its customers, Olivenhain Municipal Water District is proactive in its repair and replacement of aging water infrastructure.
Map shows the 4,700 foot long stretch of improvements planned along North El Camino Real. Graphic: Olivenhain Municipal Water District
In early April, OMWD began construction to replace aging water infrastructure along El Camino Real in Encinitas. The work marks the start of the El Camino Real Potable Water Pipeline Replacement and Green Bike Lane Striping Project. Construction is expected to last about one year.
During the project, OMWD will replace approximately 4,700 linear feet of existing 12-inch diameter potable water pipeline along North El Camino Real from Encinitas Boulevard to Garden View Road and approximately 650 linear feet of existing 12-inch diameter pipeline between Via Molena and Mountain Vista Drive. Water service lines and fire hydrant laterals served by the existing pipelines will also be replaced.
The two pipelines being replaced were originally installed in 1961 and 1974, and are approaching the end of their lifespan.
The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates that there more than 240,000 water main breaks in the United States every year. The main breaks waste over two trillion gallons of treated drinking water, but also interrupt water service to homes and businesses, and require costly and disruptive emergency repairs.
After OMWD’s pipeline work is complete, the City of Encinitas will implement traffic calming measures and improve safety and mobility for bicyclists along North El Camino Real from Encinitas Boulevard to Leucadia Boulevard by restriping and narrowing travel lanes.
The work will include adding bollards to existing bike lanes, applying green color to some areas on the bike lanes, and additional signage and pavement markings will also be installed.
OMWD will implement the lane restriping portion of the project on behalf of the City of Encinitas, which will take place concurrently with the pipeline replacement project.
The two agencies have combined efforts to maximize operational efficiencies and to reduce impacts to area residents and businesses.
Originally, OMWD’s project was scheduled to begin in 2021. Encinitas Council Member Joe Mosca and OMWD Board Treasurer Larry Watt identified the opportunity to streamline the two projects, maximizing efficiencies and minimizing impacts to the community. Because the City’s project had a deadline for grant funding, the two agencies ultimately decided it would be more efficient to advance the timeline of OMWD’s project.
“El Camino Real is a major thoroughfare and any work done there needs to be executed with maximum care and efficiency in mind to keep impacts to businesses and residents low,” said Larry Watt, OMWD board treasurer. “By coordinating the pipeline replacement project with the City’s project, the community can enjoy a continued safe and reliable water supply and improved road safety with the least disturbance possible.”
“The City of Encinitas is continuing its track record of environmental responsibility by making our streets safer for bicyclists and pedestrians through the Active Transportation Enhancing Project,” said Encinitas Councilmember Joe Mosca. “The City’s partnership with OMWD on this project highlights the benefits of collaboration between neighboring public agencies on critical infrastructure projects.”
Instead of conducting two projects along the same stretch of road consecutively, the City of Encinitas and Olivenhain Municipal Water District are coordinating their work to minimize disruption to the community. Photo: Olivenhain Municipal Water District
In addition to the partnership, OMWD has taken steps to minimize the impact of the project on residents and businesses along North El Camino Real. A City-approved traffic management plan will be implemented during construction. All work was originally scheduled to be completed at night to minimize traffic impacts.
As a result of the reduced traffic from the statewide stay-at-home order, the agencies adapted hours in April to 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. The change allows work to be completed more efficiently and safely.
Olivenhain will work closely with the City to monitor the project’s impact on traffic on a week-by-week basis and modify the schedule as needed along with project contractor Teichert Energy and Utilities Group while still maintaining efficient operations.
OMWD anticipates a single shutdown of water service for most businesses/residences, kept as short as possible. Project updates are posted on its website. Email questions to or call 760-632-4235.
For questions specific to the City of Encinitas Active Transportation Enhancing Project, email or call 760-943-2211.
This feature highlights water utility employees in the San Diego region working during the coronavirus pandemic to ensure a safe, reliable and plentiful water supply. The water industry is among the sectors that are classified as essential. City of Carlsbad Utility Worker II George Crabbe in the Water Utility Hero of the Week.
Imperial Irrigation District, California’s third largest public power provider and the largest irrigation district in the nation, will be extending its voluntary on-site shelter-in-place program at designated critical facilities for a core group of employees.
To keep employees safe and to ensure that the district’s water and energy systems remain operational during the COVID-19 pandemic, 32 district employees have been living and working at their job sites since April 25.
This feature highlights water utility employees in the San Diego region working during the coronavirus pandemic to ensure a safe, reliable and plentiful water supply. The water industry is among the sectors that are classified as essential.
I was in my junior year of college when I was having serious doubts about the major I chose civil engineering. This was mostly due to required coursework that was not of interest to me and I was seriously considering switching majors. However, during this junior year of college I got involved with a nonprofit organization called Engineers Without Borders and I got to design and construct a water filtration system with other engineering students, for a rural community in northern Thailand. This was a great rewarding experience and sparked my interest in the water industry. During my senior year of college when most of my coursework consisted of elective courses, I mostly selected elective coursework related to water resources, water distribution, and water treatment so I could pursue a job in the water industry.
At Sweetwater Authority we have implemented a rotation schedule for when staff needs to work from the office and when staff needs to work remotely from home. This ensures that we have sufficient coverage in the office for all areas while maintaining social distancing from each other. For those days where I need to work remotely from home, the remote connection from the laptop at home to my office computer is very smooth and it’s just like if I were working from my office computer, with the exception that I don’t have an extra computer monitor at home like I have in my office. Working from home does have some occasional challenges though, such as interruptions from my 3-year old son or having my dogs barking during conference call meetings, but overall, I have adjusted well to the different working conditions.
By following the recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and state and local governments, such as wearing a face mask when in public areas, washing my hands or using hand sanitizer after touching areas that might have been touched by others, following social distancing recommendations, and only going out of the house for essential things such as buying groceries.
To hang out with friends and family.
The San Diego County Water Authority and its contractors have completed essential repairs on a section of Pipeline 5 in North San Diego County between Fallbrook and Escondido. The repairs included installing 156 feet of carbon fiber liner inside the 96-inch pre-stressed concrete cylinder pipe to extend its service life. The pipeline was returned to normal service over the weekend – ahead of the original schedule.
The San Diego County Water Authority and its contractors have completed essential repairs on a section of Pipeline 5 in North San Diego County between Fallbrook and Escondido. The repairs included installing 156 feet of carbon fiber liner inside the 96-inch pre-stressed concrete cylinder pipe to extend its service life. The pipeline was returned to normal service over the weekend – ahead of the original schedule.
The lining for Pipeline 5 is a material made from layers of carbon and glass fibers combined with polymers that are engineered to efficiently and effectively improve the structural integrity of large-diameter pipelines.
“The timely upgrade to this section of Pipeline 5 is part of the Water Authority’s proactive asset management program,” said Jim Fisher, director of operations and maintenance at the Water Authority. “A key element of providing a safe and reliable water supplies is continually assessing our 310 miles of large-diameter pipeline and making the upgrades necessary to continue serving the region.”
The essential repairs followed similar repairs on nearby Pipeline 4 last year. The Pipeline 5 project started in early April, about the time most Water Authority employees transitioned to working at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The crews adapted quickly to implement safeguards to protect their health while moving forward with the critical repairs,” said Peter Milligan, engineer at the Water Authority. “We made sure to limit the number of people on-site, wear masks, and maintain a safe physical distance inside where possible.”
The asset management program uses cutting-edge technologies, like carbon fiber lining, to monitor and maintain the condition of important regional water infrastructure. Making preventative repairs ensures that regional water service will continue uninterrupted.
Pipeline 5 was built in 1982 and is part of the Water Authority’s Second Aqueduct, which consists of Pipelines 3, 4 and 5. Along with Pipeline 3, Pipeline 5 delivers untreated water from Lake Skinner in southwest Riverside County to the Lower Otay Water Treatment Plant in southern San Diego County.
An analysis to determine a long-term solution to maintain the Second Aqueduct in North San Diego County is underway.
A new poll recently released by the Value of Water Campaign shows that 84% of American voters want state and federal leaders to invest in water infrastructure. The near-unanimous support amid the COVID-19 pandemic reveals that voters value water and want elected officials to prioritize investing in infrastructure — specifically, drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.
For the fifth year in a row, the Value of Water Campaign poll surveyed over 1,000 American voters for the annual Value of Water Index. The poll asked voters how the nation should solve infrastructural issues and which priorities it should meet. Support for water infrastructure investment cuts across demographic, political and geographic divisions.
The actual repair work for a San Diego County Water Authority pipeline in Moosa Canyon is now complete, although a shutdown to remove the isolation bulkheads will be needed and the SDCWA pipeline will be shut down May 4-11.
“The carbon fiber repair has been completed, and we’re preparing for a shutdown of Pipeline 5, May 4, to remove the internal steel bulkheads,” Neena Kuzmich, CWA engineering manager, said. “After we remove the bulkheads Pipeline 5 will resume normal operations.”
The leak has been stopped, and there is no danger from flooding, said Roxanne Rountree, a spokeswoman for the Eastern Municipal Water District.
But until work is completed, customers in Moreno Valley, Lake Mathews, Orangecrest, Mission Grove, Woodcrest, Air Force Village West, Hillcrest and Lake Hills and on the on March Air Reserve Base were asked to help ensure reserves are not eaten up.
The request was made by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the Eastern, Western and Temescal Valley water districts.
