DSRSD Plans Two Year Infrastructure Project

From DSRSD: Dublin San Ramon Services District (DSRSD) marks Infrastructure Week, May 15-19, and National Public Works Week, May 21-27, two national celebrations of infrastructure and public works in our society, with $66 million in infrastructure projects planned for the next two fiscal years. The work is spread over 64 projects touching all of the District’s services—wastewater collection, treatment and disposal; potable water distribution, and recycled water production and distribution. Projects include both replacement of existing infrastructure and expansion that enables DSRSD to serve additional customers in new developments.

“Our job is to build for the future, whether expanding our facilities to serve new customers or managing, replacing, and reinvigorating the systems all our customers depend on every day,” says District Engineer Judy Zavadil. “Public works agencies must constantly reinvest in infrastructure that protects the health, safety, and quality of life in our communities.”

DSRSD’s Board of Directors discussed the District’s draft Capital Improvement Program’s 10-year plan for 2018 through 2027 and two-year budget for 2018 and 2019 Tuesday at its regular meeting and will consider it for adoption after conducting a public hearing on June 6. Three example projects are described below.

Rehabilitate Dublin Trunk Sewer: $6.7 Million
This summer, DSRSD will rehabilitate the Dublin trunk sewer, a major pipeline installed in 1960 that carries wastewater from south San Ramon and central Dublin all the way to the District’s treatment plant in Pleasanton. Video and sonar inspections have revealed significant erosion inside the pipe. The damage is caused by sulfides in wastewater and is normal in a reinforced concrete pipe of this age. DSRSD regularly assesses the condition of the pipes in its sewage collection system to prioritize both routine maintenance and eventual replacement. Because the Dublin trunk sewer runs through a busy commercial area on Village Parkway, DSRSD is using a rehabilitation technology that is significantly faster, less disruptive, and less expensive than digging a trench to uncover and replace the old pipe. Working through manholes, a contractor will insert a flexible liner into the existing pipe, section by section. The liner will cure in place in about 24 hours, restoring the pipe’s interior to near-new condition. With this added structural integrity, the pipeline is expected to remain in service for another 50 years. Construction will start in June and finish by October.

Replace WWII-Era Water Reservoir: $7.6 Million
Over the next two years, DSRSD will replace a three-million gallon drinking water reservoir built for Camp Parks in the 1940s. DSRSD acquired the Camp Parks water system in 1999. The new reservoir will be 37 percent bigger, holding over four million gallons. DSRSD has 14 storage reservoirs that hold a total of 27 million gallons located throughout its potable water service area. Storing water close to customers helps ensure adequate supplies for daily fluctuations in demand and fire protection. DSRSD’s 2016 Water System Master Plan evaluated several options for increasing storage capacity to serve new developments coming to central Dublin. Replacing the 70-year-old reservoir with a larger, deeper reservoir is the most economical choice.

Expand Recycled Water Production to Meet Growing Summer Demand: $8.4 Million
In January, DSRSD began an 18-month project to expand the Jeffrey G. Hansen Water Recycling Plant to produce 70 percent more recycled water on hot summer days. Peak-day demand for recycled water, which hit a single-day record of 8.6 million gallons last July, is expected to nearly double by 2020. The expansion, scheduled to be complete in the summer of 2018, will increase the plant’s maximum output from 9.7 to 16.2 million gallons a day. The project is adding a pretreatment step between secondary and tertiary treatment that will make more water available for recycling. The project also increases pumping and ultraviolet disinfection capacity. With these improvements, the water recycling plant will be equipped to efficiently treat most of the secondary effluent produced at DSRSD's facility next door whenever demand for irrigation water is high. DSRSD and East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) partnered in building the water recycling plant more than a decade ago, and now it also supplies recycled water to the City of Pleasanton. The three agencies are sharing the $18.2 million cost of the expansion in proportion to the amounts of recycled water they supply to their customers: DSRSD 46 percent ($8.4 million) and EBMUD and Pleasanton 27 percent each ($4.9 million each). DSRSD operates the water recycling plant and a backbone recycled water distribution system on behalf of the partnership and also is overseeing construction.

About Infrastructure Week, May 15-19
Infrastructure Week is in its fifth year and is spearheaded by a steering committee that includes the AFL-CIO, American Society of Civil Engineers, Brookings: Metropolitan Policy Program, Building America’s Future, Business Roundtable, National Association of Manufacturers, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Value of Water Campaign. Infrastructure Week serves as an opportunity for a diverse set of stakeholders who care about our nation’s infrastructure to speak with one voice about the importance of investing in our future.

About National Public Works Week, May 21-27
The American Public Works Association (APWA) proclaims the third full week in May as National Public Works Week to recognize the contributions of public works professionals who plan, build, manage, and operate public facilities and services.

Image Courtesy of DSRSD