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Water division reports low main‑break rate, begins recycled‑water master plan
Summary
Water managers told the commission that Glendale’s main‑break rate remains well below national averages, described pipeline replacement work and said a recycled‑water master plan — just approved by council — will guide future reductions in imported water.
Glendale’s water division told the commission January 22 that system performance remains strong on key reliability metrics even as the utility advances a recycled‑water master plan and pipeline replacement projects.
Why it matters: water supply and distribution reliability directly affect firefighting capability, residential service and long‑term resilience as imported supplies face climate variability.
Assistant General Manager Chisholm Abigolu said about 65% of the city’s water supply is imported and roughly 35% is local groundwater and recycled water. He said the recently approved recycled‑water master plan will kick off shortly and help define specific and numeric targets for reducing imported supply dependence.
Abigolu described pipeline replacement and main‑break performance: Glendale has a goal of no more than 20 main breaks per year (about five per 100 miles of pipe, per the plan) and reported roughly 2.5 main breaks per 100 miles — well below the national average of about 14 per 100 miles. He noted replacement work varies year to year; the Chilton‑Kenneth pipeline (about 2.2 miles) is scheduled to begin construction in spring 2025.
Valves and operations: staff said the utility maintains about 10,500 valves and aims to exercise each valve every three years (roughly 3,500 valves per year). Managers acknowledged that staffing gaps had limited exercises in prior years but said new hires should let the division close the gap; staff committed to returning with a staffing‑informed valve exercise ramp plan.
Water quality: managers said Glendale met all state and federal regulatory requirements during the period under review and that the utility is participating with Metropolitan Water District studies on emerging contaminants (including PFAS). Abigolu said the division has monitored wildfire impacts and worked with public safety during recent regional fires to maintain adequate water for response.
Ending: Staff will return with the recycled‑water master plan implementation timeline, projected pipeline replacement schedules and a prioritized valve‑exercise plan tied to staffing and contractor use.
