Rancho Monte Alegre Project
Transmission main and lateral in one trench
Tank under construction
Electrical - HOCL building
A few small rocks in the alignment
New tank floor poured
Seismic cables
Whiffle tree for setting reinforcing mats
Interior piping in construction
Project Information
Date Completed:
Total Constructed Cost:
Total Value of Services:
Project Funding:
Client Information
Client Name:
Mailing Adress:
Primary Contact:
Design Consultant:
The Rancho Monte Alegre Project for Carpinteria Water District, Carpinteria, CA: 2007 - The Carpinteria Valley Water District, a local water utility, desired greater autonomy from the South Coast Conduit, a transmission utility that delivers Lake Cachuma water to communities along the South Coast of Central California. Other operational goals were to provide backup storage capacity, stabilize zone pressures to the downtown area, enable emergency supply to customers in the event of failure of the South Coast Conduit and facilitate blending of water for water quality control.
The project consists of a new 3.8 MG wire wound concrete storage tank, an intertie pumping and regulation station enabling blending and two way exchange of water with the South Coast Conduit, a building housing electrical distribution, emergency generator and disinfection booster station, a 20" diameter transmission main 10,700 ft in length, two new 12" laterals 3500 ft in length each and renovation of the existing pressure regulation vaults connecting the District laterals to the South Coast Conduit. The project was designed in four separate bid packages, two of which are complete.
This project was very challenging. It was not a popular project with the neighbors, some of whom were very well heeled and had the ear of the County supervisors and the press. The only haul routes available were narrow, winding and heavily traveled. The alignment was unbelievably rocky and the County required that all bedding and backfill material be generated on site to avoid the truck traffic that would have been generated by importing material. There were a plethora of drainage issues, both permanent and construction related. Compliance with permit conditions was complicated because the site included protected tree and bird species and cultural resource sites.
We were the designated front man to the public and outside government agencies with permit authority over the project. Not only were we responsible for making sure that the contractor delivered a quality product and for administering the construction contract, but it was also WHA's responsibility to assure field compliance with permit conditions, handle questions and complaints and keep officials from Santa Barbara County Flood Control District, Santa Barbara County Roads, CalTrans and the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board informed of our actions.
Bid Package #1:The Lower Ranch Roadway and Pipelines - constructed 2275 LF of new 20' paved roadway through existing avocado and lemon orchard, installed 3267 LF of 20" Class 200 PVC transmission main and extended 3,136 LF of 12" Class 200 PVC distribution main along with attendant fire hydrants, air release valves, service connections and miscellaneous structures. As is the practice for transmission mains, the 20" pipeline was laid to specific grades to provide programmed high points for air release, and designated low points for drainage and blow offs.
The District was partnered in this project with a private developer. The developer was very concerned about aesthetics, where the District was concerned mainly about functionality. The developer was using different engineers to develop its utility, roadway improvement and landscape plans. Since there was very little coordination between the two engineering teams, one major challenge WHA faced throughout the project was field integrating the ranch partner's plans with the construction activities of the District's contractor. This required much redesign, extensive change orders and later incorporation into the project record drawings. The end result however was a well constructed and eye pleasing project.
Bid Package #2: The Lower Ranch Tank Project took place a little further up in the foothills. In addition to the 3.8 Million gallon tank previously mentioned, two 75 HP vertical turbine transfer pumps, a pump control valve vault, and an electrical controls and chemical building are included in the project. Since the tank is buried, 50,000 CY of excavation and subsequently 45,000 CY of backfill and embankment were also required. The completed project also included extension of the water lines, electrical, dry utilities, gas and roadway to the upper part of the site. Construction of the concrete tank itself went smoothly, but was time consuming and complicated.
The disturbed site area was 21 acres on slopes varying from 5 to 30 percent, with most of the area active throughout the project. The construction stormwater flow from the site during the rainy season was a major concern from both a volume and erosion standpoint. Best management practices (BMP's) included berms, swales, check dams, silt fences, straw wattles, siltation basins, rock filters and erosion protection.
Though the bulk of the public controversy had died down and the permit compliance efforts had become routine by the time the tank construction began, this project was not without its challenges. If possible, the issue of rock was even more burdensome as excavation brought us out of loose boulders and into areas of rock strata. The rock was hard sandstone which did not yield easily to the excavators, but was too soft to break easily with a hoe ram. Since rock made up a significant portion of the excavated material we were left long on rock and short on fill for the completed project. This situation was eventually resolved by bringing in a rock crusher and converting much of the excess rock to structural backfill, however, this made compaction testing with a nuclear gage difficult because of the variability of the rock content throughout the stockpile.
During design Wayne Haefele & Associates provided project hydraulic analysis, pipeline materials evaluation and recommendations and complete design and construction documentation for the intertie pump station, electrical/disinfection building and modification of existing PRV vaults as sub-consultant to MNS Engineers of Santa Barbara.
During construction Wayne Haefele & Associates provided inspection, construction management and field engineering services to the project. WHA was responsible throughout the project to review or coordinate review of submittals, assure that the project was constructed in accordance with the approved plans, interpret design intent, answer or get answers for contractor questions, perform daily inspection, coordinate deputy inspections of rebar & concrete, integrate project changes and deal with technical problems that arose. We also performed pre and post storm event inspections, modification of the number and placement of stormwater BMP's to meet changing conditions and reporting to the state Water Quality Control Board.
October 11, 2007
$7,532,972.37
$360,523.75
Private Developer funding
Carpinteria Valley Water District
1301 Santa Ynez Road
Carpinteria, CA 93013
Mr. Charles Hamilton
District Manager
Wayne Haefele & Associates and MNS Engineers