Hi-Desert Water District completes booster station rehab, saving $650k via in-house execution

Hi-Desert Water District completes booster station rehab, saving $650k via in-house executionThe California utility has finalized a major upgrade to its Front Western Hills Booster Station, leveraging a Proposition 1 grant and internal labor to boost capacity to 925 gallons per minute while halving expected project costs.

The district utilized a Proposition 1 Integrated Regional Water Management grant to fund the rehabilitation.

By performing the majority of the construction in-house, the district saved an estimated $650,000 compared to fully contracting the work.

The infrastructure upgrade increased the station's pumping capacity from 650 GPM to 925 GPM.

The Board also unanimously adopted the district's 2025 Regional Urban Water Management Plan.

The Hi-Desert Water District in Yucca Valley, California, has completed a major rehabilitation of its Front Western Hills Booster Station, utilizing internal staff to execute the bulk of the construction and significantly reduce project costs. Construction Superintendent Ryan Abell presented the completed project to the Board of Directors on June 3, 2026, noting that the upgrade replaced 40-year-old infrastructure. The new station pumps water up a 500-foot elevation change to a reservoir on Cobalt Road, operating at a working pressure of 220 psi. The rehabilitation successfully increased the station's pumping capacity from 650 gallons per minute (GPM) to 925 GPM. The updated facility also features new Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) controls. The automated system allows the pumps to ramp up and down softly, mitigating pressure spikes and reducing stress on the district's discharge pipe infrastructure. Funding for the project was anchored by a Proposition 1, Round 2 Integrated Regional Water Management Implementation Grant, which the district began pursuing with the Mojave Water Agency and the Department of Water Resources in 2022. The grant was awarded in 2023, though material delays pushed the start of preliminary construction to early 2025. To maximize cost efficiency, the district executed nearly all of the construction in-house, including site grading, installing a bypass pump system, setting the 12-foot pump cans, and pouring the concrete foundation. The district only subcontracted the block building construction and the electrical panel installation. According to district estimates discussed during the meeting, performing the work internally saved approximately $650,000 compared to fully contracting the project out. In other business, the Board unanimously adopted the district's 2025 Regional Urban Water Management Plan (RUWMP) and 2025 Water Shortage Contingency Plan. The RUWMP was prepared in coordination with the Mojave Water Agency and other retail suppliers through a contract with consulting firm Zanjero, Inc., a regional approach intended to improve cost efficiency and strengthen the region's ability to pursue state and federal funding. Finally, district leadership announced the utility had recently received notice of its eligibility for a $400,000 matching grant from the Bureau of Reclamation, which is expected to help recover funds for approximately $500,000 in existing expenditures.