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Imperial Beach declares emergency and orders replacement pumps after Pump Station 8 failures
Summary
After two pump failures and the final working unit failing, the council declared an emergency and authorized $335,000 to order four custom replacement pumps (three for installation, one spare) and procurement support; lead time is estimated at about seven months.
The Imperial Beach City Council adopted two resolutions on Oct. 15 to address a sudden failure of Pump Station 8, the city’s primary sanitary pump station.
Public Works Director Juan Larios told the council that two pumps had failed earlier in the week and the remaining operating pump failed last Saturday, leaving the station unable to perform normal pumping functions. Pump Station 8 collects flows from multiple neighborhood pump stations and routes them to the regional collection system; prolonged outage would substantially increase risk of local overflows or prolonged bypasses to Pump Station 9.
Staff recommended and the council approved Resolution No. 2025-055 to appropriate $335,000 from the Pump Station 8 construction project to purchase four replacement pumps (including a spare) and to obtain bid support and pump-procurement services from the city’s engineering consultant. The vendor quote provided to staff was $280,000 for four custom pumps; staff added contingency and $35,000 for engineering bid support. Council also adopted Resolution No. 2025-056 to declare the existence of an emergency, allowing the city to suspend normal bidding procedures and expedite procurement.
Larios said the pumps are custom-engineered and require a submittal-review period (about six weeks) followed by manufacture (roughly 26 weeks), so the expected lead time is about seven months. Staff will pursue interim measures — temporary pumps and bypass options — to maintain sewer conveyance while the order is fulfilled and the larger rehabilitation project proceeds. The larger Pump Station 8 rehabilitation project has an approved budget of $1.5 million; this appropriation accelerates the pump purchase within that project.
Council approved both measures unanimously. Staff said it will return with purchase documentation and construction-contract awards for installation and related plumbing and electrical upgrades.
