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DPU details aging water infrastructure, PRV and hydrant replacements and major SCADA and well upgrades
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Summary
DPU staff told the board about ongoing water-system work: PRV condition assessments and replacements, hydrant and waterline repairs, SCADA and booster/well upgrades, and a canyon transmission-line repair; staff said targeted in‑house leak detection and phased capital projects aim to reduce emergency breaks and improve reliability.
Department of Public Utilities operations staff briefed the board on March 4 about the county’s water-system condition and a series of capital and operations projects aimed at reducing water losses and improving reliability.
A DPU staff member said crews are using an in‑house leak-detection program and are prioritizing neighborhood pipeline projects to coincide with public‑works paving to limit overall disruption. The staff member described pressure‑reducing valves (PRVs) as a recurring problem: many units are late‑1960s vintage and while several can be rehabilitated, some are beyond repair and must be replaced. "So we have 80 84 PRVs," the presenter said when describing system pressure zones and controls.
The briefing covered extensive hydrant-replacement work that requires traffic control and multi‑crew coordination, and noted cast‑iron mains and aging service lines continue to produce periodic waterline breaks. Staff described a recent failure on an 18‑inch transmission line in a deep canyon that forced pumps to run overnight to keep contract tanks full; they outlined a slip‑lining repair to be undertaken by Parker Construction with temporary flow diverted to a redundant smaller line.
Staff also summarized multi‑year capital investments: electrical and mechanical rehabilitation at wells and booster stations, a major SCADA upgrade moving from legacy radio/RTU systems to PLC-based controls with improved telemetry, and changes to chlorine-disinfection systems to improve reliability at Pareto Booster 2. The department said these upgrades have reduced unplanned shutdowns and improved remote monitoring.
Board members asked about coordination with LANL on well‑station metering and an arc‑flash incident during a LANL meter upgrade; staff said meter-loop ownership resides with LANL and noted the county will coordinate safety and metering accuracy reviews. The board asked members to keep Kathy apprised of travel plans because upcoming meetings risk tighter quorums.
Staff said replacements and major projects will be phased, coordinated with public‑works schedules and grant opportunities where available, and that ongoing O&M work (hydrant replacements, PRV rehabilitation, valve exercising) will continue to consume in‑house crew capacity.
