The Piedmont City Council approved two capital contracts aimed at reducing rainwater inflow into the sanitary system and minimizing local flooding. The council awarded a TrustPipe cured-in-place sewer rehabilitation contract and a separate sanitary sewer and storm-drain improvement contract.

Public Works Director Daniel Gonzales described the TrustPipe approach as lining aging host pipelines with an internal pipe to make them watertight and reduce groundwater and stormwater inflow. "The single most important thing for everyone to know is it makes it watertight," Gonzales said during his presentation, adding the work reduces root intrusion and maintenance and supports the city's obligations under East Bay Municipal Utility District (East Bay MUD) consent-decree monitoring.

For the TrustPipe project the council approved the low bid from West Rock Engineering in the amount of $1,233,150, with an overall construction budget of $1,356,465; staff found the project categorically exempt under CEQA. Project scope noted in staff materials: roughly 3,200 feet of pipeline rehabilitation and replacement/rehabilitation of 10 manholes where required.

Separately the council approved the sanitary sewer and storm-drain improvement contract to John Boylan Engineering Inc., for $574,553 with a construction budget of $632,008 and a CEQA categorical-exemption finding. That project targets known hydraulic bottlenecks and undersized curb inlets; staff said catch basins will be upsized in critical spots to provide temporary detention and slow peak flows so downstream low spots do not overtop.

Engineer John Wenger (Coastland) and Gonzales told council the projects focus on the most challenging locations (steep creeks, backyards, and confined areas) where open excavation would be highly disruptive. Gonzales and Wenger said the selected technologies minimize excavation and disturbance, limit the need for private-property work, and aim to bring the city's system into better compliance with flow-monitoring requirements identified by East Bay MUD. Council approved both contracts by unanimous roll-call votes.