Proposal - Hamers - 2002-02-02 ROBIN B. HAMERS 234E 17TH ST SUITE 205
& ASSOCIATES, INC COSTA MESA. CA 92827
CIVIL ENGINEERS • PLANNERS • SURVEYORS (949] 548-1192
February 2, 2002 FAX(949)546-65'a
Board of Directors
Costa Mesa Sanitary District
77 Fair Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
RE Proposal to Begin Design Phase
Project #168 Tustin Pumping Station Remodel
Dear Board of Directors:
Enclosed is the description of the project as included in the 2001 2002 Capital
Improvement Program. A major remodel or relocation of the pumping station is required
because the County of Orange and the City of Newport Beach are realigning and widening
Irvine Avenue at the intersection of Mesa Drive where the pumping station is located.
The County recently added widening Mesa Drive as it comes down the hill and joins Irvine
Avenue which has extended the project time line.
In accordance with State law if the street owner realigns, relocates, raisers or lowers a
street, or constructs a storm drain, any of which conflict with an existing utility the utility
owner must relocate its facility as its own cost. Because the County is widening Irvine
Avenue causing conflict with the District s Tustin Pumping Station, the District is
responsible for its relocation.
The engineering staff of the District has investigated two options: remodeling the station
in its present location and relocating the station across the street to the other side of Irvine
Avenue During the design phase of the project, an analysis of each option will be
considered.
In accordance with the project as proposed in the Capital Improvement Program and as
supported by the Norris-Repke independent engineer s review it is proposed to complete
the design phase at the following hourly rates not to exceed $32,500
Engineering $ 70 00/ hour
Surveying (2 man crew) 165 00 / hour
Soils Report at cost
Sincerely
Robin B Hamers
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PROJECT 1112100-168
TUSTIN PUMPING STATION REMODEL
Background/Station History
In 1983 the Costa Mesa Sanitary District relocated the Tustin Pumping Station from the center of
the intersection of Mesa Drive and Irvine Avenue to behind the westerly intersection curb, in the
sidewalk, at the base of the Back Bay Shopping Center The station is named the Tustin Pumping
Station because it is located in an area once assumed to be Tustin Avenue but was later included
with Irvine Avenue.
The original station was located in the street intersection and accessing the station meant stopping
the large District sewer cleaning truck in the middle of the intersection and blocking traffic flow
Additionally the entire station including electrical controls, valves, pumps, and motors,was
located underground, and was accessible through a manhole and 20 foot vertical ladder.
The District adopted an in-house safety policy for pumping station access and maintenance and the
Tustin Station was the least safe of all the stations. Field crews check the stations daily and that
required blocking the traffic flow and descending the 20 foot vertical ladder to observe the
operation of the pumps. The entire electrical system was located inside the underground station in
an area subject to flooding if the station malfunctioned or there was an electrical outage. When
normal or emergency maintenance was necessary more than one vehicle was parked in the
intersection,causing additional traffic problems.
When the station was relocated into the sidewalk behind the westerly curb, it was constructed as a
submersible station with the electrical controls located in an enclosure at street level and two
separate underground vaults; a pump vault and a valve vault. This met the District's safety
standards as checking the station could be done at street level rather than descending into an
enclosed space.
Entering the old station constituted entry into confined space as defined by CAL OSHA which
required a three man crew and extensive safety equipment. Now the daily checking could be done
by one man at street level, in an area outside the traffic flow A significant cost reduction occurred
by one man, not three, performing the daily checking and with a large increase in worker safety
Current Situation
The County of Orange and the City of Newport Beach performed a traffic study of Irvine Avenue
from Bristol Street to University Drive and identified improvements necessary to accommodate
future traffic flows. The proposed design requires widening the intersection, including the area
where the pumping station is located. Because the proposed westerly curb relocation was only
three feet, a letter was written to the County suggesting an altered design could be used because a
three foot curb relocation impacted the entire pumping station which is located immediately behind
the existing curb. After a lengthy review of the District's request,the County of Orange adhered to
the City of Newport Beach s desires to move the westerly curb so the District must now modify the
existing station or again relocate the station.
The modification option entails leaving a large portion of the station in its present location while
constructing a new pump vault behind the new curb. The relocation option consists of relocating
the station behind the proposed southerly curb, an area with slightly less traffic and with easier
access. The options will be fully investigated during the design phase and the construction plans
will include the best option for the District.
The proposed budget for the project is as follows:
Design, including Surveying, and Soils Report $ 32,500
Construction 500,000
Inspection, Construction Surveying,and Contract Administration 32,500
Reserve or Contingency 35,000
TOTAL $600,000
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August24 2001
NORRIS REPKE
4 Sub !di ry of Near
Robin B. Hamers, PE
Manager/District Engineer
Costa Mesa Sanitary District
234 E. 17`h Street, Suite 205
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
SUBJECT' CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM REVIEW(2001 —2002)
Dear Rob.
I have completed my review of the Districts 2001 — 2002 Capital Improvement Program
(CIP) that you sent me on June 28, 2001 I have enclosed my independent review report
as you requested. As usual, I found the CIP report to be very complete, containing
adequate information for me to make my review I appreciated getting the project maps
for the two major construction projects, understanding the project and its intent was made
easier with their use.
I did have several questions/comments that are noted in my independent report, as shown
below.
• Project#149• A question that the reviewer has that may also be asked by others
is, "is interest being accrued to the fund and if so what is the accrued amount?'
It might be of interest to indicate what the total value of the fund is on an
annual basis. Also, has a decision been made as to how long funds will be set
aside; is there a dollar amount goal that the District is programming for?
• Project #156. The reviewer has the same question identified in Project #149
above: `is interest being accrued to the fund and if so what is the accrued
amount?' It might be of interest to indicate what the total value of the fund is
on an annual basis.
• Project #159• The reviewer recognizes that the District Engineer prepares a
report that defines the results of this project; however, it might be beneficial for
future years to provide a very brief summary in the CIP report of the value of
this type of work. A brief indication of percentage of pipeline unchanged versus
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continued deterioration versus actual repairs would provide support for funding
continuation.
However, none of these items caused any concern that would cause me to not recommend
overall approval of the report.
Overall, I found the CIF report to be very concise, well defined, and complete. I applaud
you and the District for continuing the funding for future sewer replacement and for
miscellaneous work.
The District's management and financial ability to provide these services continues to be
an outstanding feature of the Districts overall operation.
How is your study on the use of enzymes for odor and grease control going? I would
hope that you and the District would consider publishing the results of your
investigations. The District continues to be a forward thinking agency (it's varied
involvement in recycling, large item pickup, medical/needle collection, etc.). I believe
the District should receive the accolades that are due to it.
Thank you for sending me the District's CD `Working For You' It was great, plus I
enjoyed seeing you all in it. Give my best to the Board and to the staff. I appreciate the
opportunity to continue to work with you and to serve the District.
Sincerely
Ask/co p a ,
Norris-Repke, Inc.
Bruce D Mattem, PE, TE
Senior Project Manager, Municipal Services
X\proj WR061001 TCIP Review.doc
Page 1 of 3
Independent Review
Costa Mesa Sanitary District
Capital Improvement Program
Fiscal Year 2001-2002
♦ Protect 1112100-149/SINKING FUND FOR FUTURE SEWER REPLACEMENT
This is the sixth year (project was initiated in the 1995-96 fiscal year) that funds have been set aside
for future replacement or reconstruction of sewer lines as they reach life expectancy Funds were not
set-aside in the 200-2001 Fiscal Year due to budget constraints. Setting aside funds for future use
now will benefit from the compounding of interest over time. The report indicates that the level of
funding will be reviewed yearly and will depend on the necessity of other District needs. This year's
program will add $125,000 to the fund for a total deposit of$1,145,000 exclusive of interest.
• A question that the reviewer has that may also be asked by others is, `is interest being
accrued to the fund and if so what is the accrued amount?" It might be of interest to
indicate what the total value of the fund is on an annual basis. Also, has a decision been
made as to how long funds will be set aside; is there a dollar amount goal that the District
is programming for?
• Project 1112100-156 / EARTHQUAKE/MAJOR EMERGENCY SEWER
RECONSTRUCTION FUND
This year's allocation continues the funding established in 1997 The District's goal is to set aside
$1,000,000 in the event of an earthquake or other major emergency The reviewer concurs with the
reasoning behind establishing this fund. As stated in the Fiscal Year 1999-2000 review other
sources of funding/reimbursement may be available (i.e. State, FEMA, etc.); however, these sources
will probably not be timely nor is there a guarantee that full reimbursement will be available. It
appears that the District continues to have the financial resources available, which will allow
continuation of this fund without affecting other District operations nor cause an increase in fees.
This fund, as does Project#149 will continue to benefit from compounding interest over time.
With this year's allocation of$123,000, the total deposit into the Fund equals $1,000,000 The fund
is now at the Districts goal of$1,000,000
• The reviewer has the same question identified in Project #149 above: `is interest being
accrued to the fund and if so what is the accrued amount?" It might be of interest to
indicate what the total value of the fund is on an annual basis.
♦
Project 1112100-159 /TELEVISING SEWER LINES
This year's project is part of an ongoing program to insure that the Districts facilities are functioning
properly It is noted that with newer technology the new cameras can rotate in place to view a joint,
a crack or failed area from all angles. This will greatly enhance the decision making process. The
engineering fees are higher than normal projects but since this requires proper selection of locations
to be televised, monitoring the District's cleaning schedule, coupled with reviewing the tapes and
NRI PROJECT 61-17 NORRIS REPKE
Page 2 of 3
report preparation, they are acceptable. The benefits to the District provide for flexibility an on-call
contractor, and immediate response capability
• The reviewer recognizes that the District Engineer prepares a report that defines the
results of this project; however, it might be beneficial for future years to provide a very
brief summary in the CIP report of the value of this type of work. A brief indication of
percentage of pipeline unchanged versus continued deterioration versus actual repairs
would provide support for funding continuation.
• Project 1112100-164/MISCELLANEOUS SEWER WORK AND MANHOLE ADJUSTMENT
This provides the funding for a continuing program to reimburse other agencies (Cities of Costa
Mesa and Newport Beach, County of Orange and/or Orange County Sanitation Districts) for work
that they either do or have done on District facilities. This includes the purchase of manhole rings
and covers and for adjusting District sewer manholes to grade. The program has been expanded to
include pumping station or small sewer line repairs that need to be handled immediately
Other agencies perform construction activities, which affect District facilities; i.e. raise or lower
manholes to grade. Since it is the responsibility of the District for its own facilities, providing funds
to reimburse other agencies is appropriate. The reviewer understands the benefit of programming to
provide funding for pump station and small sewer line, and manhole repairs/adjustments when the
need is found rather than waiting to include in a larger project. This project is supported by and has
functioned with the efforts of previous Project 159 (Televising Sewer Lines) funding. This year's
funding of$75,000 includes $25,000 for emergency repair work at the Victoria pump station
Based on the data contained in the engineer's report, the funding amount appears reasonable.
- Project 1112100-168 / TUSTIN PUMPING STATION REMODEL
The original pump station was located in the intersection of Mesa Drive and Irvine Avenue. In 1983
the station was converted to a submersible operation with the electrical controls installed above
ground behind the northwesterly curb return next to the Back Bay Shopping Center. The reviewer is
very familiar with the original station and the safety concerns that resulted in the initial relocation.
The County of Orange and the City of Newport Beach, based on a traffic study propose to widen the
Mesa / Irvine intersection to increase the traffic carrying capacity of the intersection. This
intersection widening will require the westerly curb to be relocated and subsequently will affect the
Tustin Pump Station. It is understood that the District requested the County and the City to consider
an alternate design, one that would not affect the station but was unsuccessful.
The District is reviewing the options of constructing a new pump vault behind the new westerly curb
or relocating the station to the southwesterly curb. It appears from the map provided that the
southwesterly location may provide better access. The final alternative will be selected during the
preliminary design phase and would reflect the District's best interest.
The estimated design, survey geotechnical, construction engineering and construction management
costs are 13% of the estimated construction cost. This is very reasonable, as 20% to 25% would be
considered normal.
NRI PROJECT 61-17 NORRIS REPKE
Page 3 of 3
• Project 1112100-169 /TELEMETRY SYSTEM UPGRADE
Over the years the District has worked to improve it's sewer alarm and reporting system (the
reviewer remembers when each station had to be manually checked seven days a week). In 1997 the
District switched to a Motorola SCADA system. Recently the reporting system has had problems
gathering data and the Corporation Yard computer is very slow compared to present day computers.
Staff is not sure if the problem is related to the software or to the antennas at the outlying pump
stations.
This appropriation will allow for further study to determine if the problem is software or in the
sending/receiving equipment. The appropriation provides appropriate funding, $30,000 for software
upgrades with the remainder to cover antenna replacement costs and for other determined hardware
upgrades.
File:
NRI PROJECT 61-17 NORRIS REPKE