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Council approves replacement of aging control valves at Long Beach water-plant
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Summary
Council authorized a contract to replace five domestic control valves at the water purification plant after staff said valves are over 20 years old, operate on solenoids and will be replaced in stages over 3–4 months to avoid service interruptions.
The City Council approved a resolution on Nov. 5 to replace aging domestic control valves at Long Beach’s water purification plant, a capital maintenance project staff described as necessary to avoid future service interruptions and costly emergency repairs.
City staff told the council five bids were received and Benson Contracting was the lowest responsible bidder. Steve Friedman, the city engineer, said the valves govern flows from the plant to residents and businesses, are ‘‘in excess of 20 years’’ old and are past their useful life. He advised staged replacement of the five large distribution valves (estimated as 12-inch lines) over about three to four months so the city does not lose distribution pressure during work.
Friedman explained the valves have manual capabilities and solenoid operation; council members asked about frequency of replacement and failure modes. Staff said failures often involve internal stem breaks that can require excavation and emergency replacement, which would be more disruptive and costly.
Council and the public also raised broader questions about water costs. Staff said part of the pressure on rates stems from aging wells (two currently out of service) and century-old infrastructure that draws groundwater from deep wells, and that system maintenance has driven a need for such replacements.
The item moved with the evening’s consent vote. The city engineer will oversee the staged replacement and return to council if additional budgetary actions are required.
