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Commission hears rise in emergency water callouts and outlines $30M-plus CIP to address aging mains
Summary
Utility staff reported emergency callouts doubled while total leaks remained stable; officials described major replacement and relining projects and a multi‑year CIP to prioritize failing infrastructure.
Glendora’s water distribution staff told the commission on Wednesday that while the total number of reported leaks in fiscal 2024–25 was roughly similar to previous years, the number of emergency callouts more than doubled, prompting inclusion of large replacement projects in the capital improvement program.
Water Utility Supervisor Jason Forsberg reported 334 total leaks in fiscal year 2024–25 (down slightly from 374 in 2023–24) but said emergency callouts rose from about 57 to 117 this past year. Forsberg defined emergency callouts as incidents requiring immediate response for safety or property‑damage risk — for example, main breaks or struck fire hydrants — and said after‑hours calls and higher‑severity main breaks contributed to the jump.
Forsberg reviewed several major 2024–25 projects that addressed repeated leak histories: abandoning and replacing problematic six‑inch mains with individual service lines in the Bonnie Cove and Donington neighborhoods, relocating and upgrading a six‑inch main on Oak Park to the street and replacing fittings and valves, and a complex relining and replacement of a nearly century‑old 16‑inch transmission main near Lone Hill where leaks surfaced far from the leak source. Forsberg said advanced leak detection equipment and hydro‑excavation tools helped locate and repair the Lone Hill leak and improve response efficiency.
Assistant Public Works Director Paul Zampiello said staff are tracking leak locations in GIS, collecting photos and loss metrics, and plan a deeper causes analysis; commissioners requested a more detailed breakdown by leak type, timing (after hours vs. business hours) and whether work was done by city crews or outside contractors. Staff committed to return with a more detailed analysis at the next meeting.
To address long‑term risk, staff described the water CIP program developed after the city's water master plan and a prior rate study. The plan programs roughly $30 million over a five‑year period to tackle priority pipe zones; staff highlighted three near‑term projects: a comprehensive Glendora Avenue corridor reconstruction tying in reservoirs and upgrading water mains and traffic elements (design in 2026, construction in 2026–27); a Colorado‑area pipeline replacement and street repaving (design in 2025, construction 2026); and a Cypress Avenue upsizing project to correct deficient fire flows (design late 2025/early 2026, construction in 2026).
Commissioners praised staff for new equipment and urged prompt analysis of the emergency callout spike as a key performance indicator; staff will return with additional data on emergency calls, contract use and the fraction of oldest pipe replaced over recent years. The commission received and filed the distribution update by voice vote.
