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Laguna Beach presents wastewater master plan update; preliminary 20‑year needs total about $137 million
Summary
Staff and consultants updated the council on a wastewater master plan that found no current hydraulic trunk sewer capacity deficiencies but identified extensive rehabilitation and replacement needs — including lift stations, pipelines and manholes — with a preliminary order‑of‑magnitude cost of about $137 million over 20 years.
Laguna Beach staff and consultants presented an update to the City Council on the wastewater master plan at a study session, summarizing condition assessments and a preliminary 20‑year capital program that staff estimated at roughly $137 million in current dollars.
"Our master plan objectives include analyzing hydraulic capacity, identifying system deficiencies, assessing the condition of pipelines, manholes, lift stations, and urban water diversion structures ... and prioritizing rehabilitation and replacement needs in both a 10 and a 20 year capital improvement program," said Ulysses Escalona, senior project manager overseeing the effort.
Key findings The hydraulic model built from flow‑meter data and survey work found no trunk sewer hydraulic capacity deficiencies at this time, staff said. CCTV inspections of approximately 30 miles of pipeline filmed between 2016 and 2021 identified defects including cracks and root intrusion; staff recommended cured‑in‑place lining, full replacement and point repairs. Staff reported about 15 miles have been lined in recent years and identified another roughly 15 miles as candidates for lining.
Staff presented preliminary cost estimates, including about $36 million for pipeline repairs and rehabilitation, approximately $26 million for manhole rehabilitation, roughly $48 million for lift station improvements and an estimated $25 million for the North Coast interceptor project. The total preliminary construction cost presented was about $137 million.
Manholes, lift stations and private laterals The system contains about 2,937 manholes; staff surveyed 300 manholes and assessed 400, using GPS, elevations and internal scans to inform GIS updates and condition ranking. Recommended manhole rehabilitation methods included geopolymer mortar repairs and cured‑in‑place manhole lining; staff estimated about $4,000,000 in recommended manhole rehabilitation and $2,500,000 identified specifically for geopolymer mortar repairs in the initial summary.
The city inspected six to 26 (transcript range) lift stations; the condition assessment categorized recommended work as near term (2–5 years), midterm (6–9 years) and long term (beyond 10 years). Near‑term improvements were estimated at about $12 million and included pump and electrical replacements, repairs to wet walls and removal of debris obstructing access. Staff noted safety and operational issues such as corroded hatches and limited emergency access at some coastal stations.
A separate North Coast interceptor (NCI) replacement reach 5 project — a full replacement adjacent to Aliso Creek from Coast Highway to the coastal treatment plant — is about 90% through design; staff said environmental documents and easements are being finalized and construction is anticipated in 2026.
Funding and delivery Mark Trescu told the council the master plan will be finalized and come back to council by the end of the year; staff also said the plan will be folded into the sewer rate study to be discussed in early 2026 to evaluate funding strategies and rate modeling.
Council questions and staff capacity Council members asked about timing, cost‑basis (staff said estimates were in 2025 dollars) and delivery methods. Mark Trescu said the city has relied on IBank loans for past sewer capital and that the North Coast interceptor has used that financing source; staff also said one lift station rehabilitation is under construction and four others are currently budgeted. On staff capacity to deliver a large CIP, staff said without alternative delivery approaches (for example, progressive design‑build and increased contract project management) in‑house staff alone would likely not be sufficient to manage the full program quickly.
Public comments and equity questions A public commenter asked that the wastewater fund — not the city general fund — bear the study and improvement costs. Staff confirmed the work was funded from the wastewater fund and sewer rates. Other public speakers and council members asked staff to present delivery alternatives and to integrate the master plan findings into the upcoming rate study and CIP prioritization.
Next steps Staff said it will finalize project prioritization, refine cost projections, complete remaining manhole surveys and present the final master plan to council in about four months. The plan will inform the sewer rate study and future rate discussions.
Ending No formal council action was taken during the study session; staff received direction to return a final master plan, discuss delivery alternatives and coordinate funding and rate study work next year.
