Sweetwater Authority reports progress on $38 million active CIP portfolio; flushing program under budget

The Sweetwater Authority Engineering and Operations Committee received a quarterly update Jan. 13 covering the first and second quarters of fiscal year 2024–25 and staff developments through Dec. 31, 2024.

Staff said there are 28 active capital improvement projects with a combined budget of about $38 million and current remaining budget balances of roughly $29 million for those active projects. Since the last committee update in May 2024, staff reported 12 CIP projects were completed. Five projects are currently in construction with combined budgets approaching $60 million for those contracts and work packages.

Notable items staff highlighted included replacement of the production meter at the Puritas (Purdue) facility, which was completed inside the required seven‑day shutdown window and brought back online in five days. The National City wells iron and manganese removal project has issued notice to proceed and a preconstruction meeting is planned; staff said a groundbreaking ceremony will be scheduled when the date is finalized. Staff also said they had obtained U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permitting for a Purdue aeration project and were working on permits from Fish and Wildlife and the radio board.

The authority’s distribution system flushing program has completed 47.2 miles of the 75‑mile Chula Vista goal for the fiscal year and is running at an average cost of $1,603 per mile since the program began in February 2023 — well below the earlier projected $3,278 figure. Staff credited improved operator experience, better scheduling and refinements to filter handling on the flushing truck for the savings.

Staff discussed procurement and market issues, noting several roof replacement projects advertised by nearby public agencies produced bids well above estimates; staff said the agency is monitoring market conditions and updating contingency allowances for projects likely to present unknown conditions after demolition. Staff advised the committee that some projects completed or funded through other sources (general fund) are included in the CIP reporting for transparency, such as a watershed model project and a seismic stability study for the Sweetwater reservoir tower; the latter has a request‑for‑proposals deadline shortly after the presentation.

Committee members asked for enhancements to the CIP dashboard. Director Cox asked for "percent completed versus percent expended" to appear at a glance to help the board understand schedule progress versus cash flow; staff agreed to consider adding progress metrics and noted the Gantt chart is updated quarterly. Staff also described enhancements to solicitation processes, including moving to digital bid submissions to reduce friction for firms.

Several projects were noted as nearing bid advertisement or award: the central Wheeler tank project was out to bid with submittals due later in the week, and the Shad handler placement for Loveland Reservoir and other reservoir/pipe projects are scheduled to complete before the fiscal year end. Staff also reported the Loveland Reservoir Trails master plan received a $700,000 grant and environmental proposals are being solicited.

The committee did not take action on the CIP update (informational item). Staff said they will continue to monitor market conditions and return with updates and recommended procurement strategies as needed.