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Discovery Bay board told major water main replacement, decade-long cross-connection program are coming
Summary
Board members were briefed on a planned replacement of an 8-inch water main with a new 12-inch line that includes an underwater crossing and on a state-mandated cross-connection program for which the town is selecting contractors.
Discovery Bay Town officials told the Board of Directors on May 7 that the town plans to replace an aging 8-inch water main with a new 12-inch pipeline and is preparing to implement a state mandate for a cross-connection control program.
During director reports, a board member said the replacement will run from Willow Lake to Newport Point and out to Sand Creek, will require an underwater crossing and is expected to take about 18 months once construction begins. The board member said the existing 8-inch line cannot simply be sleeved or relined; the work requires a full new pipeline installation. The board was told the project is expected to start within a few months and that a project package will be brought to the board for approval at the next meeting.
The same director reported the town is addressing a new state mandate for a cross-connection control program. Staff are interviewing and evaluating several contractors to run the program; doing the work in-house would require creating a subunit within the water/wastewater department. The board member said the cross-connection effort is likely to extend across roughly a 10-year time frame and will require sustained staffing and contractor support.
Board members and staff framed the two items as large, multi-year infrastructure efforts that will require additional planning and formal approval. The director who reported the items said the work is intended to "balance the system," noting the 8-inch section was installed when Discovery Bay West and additional development on that side of town did not exist. A staff presentation and formal project approval are scheduled for a future board meeting.
No formal motions or votes on either the pipeline replacement or the cross-connection program were taken at the May 7 meeting. The board was briefed; staff were directed to return with cost estimates and an approval package for the pipeline project at the next meeting.
Town officials did not specify funding sources, exact contractor selections, final cost estimates, permitting timelines, or precise start dates; those items were described as work in progress to be reported back to the board.
