Hi-Desert Water District approves $1.26M change order for Phase II wastewater project to meet Joshua Tree regulations

Hi-Desert Water District approves $1.26M change order for Phase II wastewater project to meet Joshua Tree regulationsThe California utility will tap into state grant contingency funds to cover unanticipated engineering costs required to map residential sewer laterals and ensure compliance with the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act.

The Board of Directors authorized Change Order No. 004, adding $1,265,202.75 to the Phase II Wastewater Collection System Project contract.

The cost covers the creation of scaled plot plans for 2,017 lots in the Paxton and Sunnyslope areas to comply with a California Department of Fish and Wildlife permit.

The state has already approved the change order, allowing the district to fully cover the expense using remaining contingency funds from its funding agreement.

The total construction contract with Sukut Construction now stands at $74.9 million, with completion scheduled for December 2026.

The Hi-Desert Water District Board of Directors approved a $1,265,202.75 change order on August 19 to address unforeseen environmental compliance costs for its Phase II Wastewater Collection System Project. The additional expenditure, which represents a 1.74% increase to the construction contract with Sukut Construction, LLC, is required to achieve full compliance with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act. According to district documents, the requirements of the Incidental Take Permit—issued after the project's guaranteed maximum price was finalized in April 2025—mandate the creation of scaled plot plans for all developed parcels connecting to the new sewer system. These plans, which must include aerial backgrounds and show lateral locations with invert elevations, are necessary to assist property owners in obtaining plumbing permits from the Town of Yucca Valley while ensuring environmental compliance during the construction of on-lot laterals. The change order covers engineering support and administration provided by West Coast Civil, Inc. The scope of work involves designing and as-building plans for 1,085 developed lots in the Paxton area and 932 lots in the Sunnyslope area. Shen, a representative from NV5 acting as the district's construction manager, informed the board that the permitting requirements involved documenting every single lot in the project area where a sewer lateral is built, as well as accounting for the protected trees. Despite the seven-figure increase, the change order will not financially impact the district's operational budget or ratepayers. "We're fortunate that the state already approved this cost," the NV5 representative stated during the meeting. "It can be covered completely, 100%, out of the grant's contingency funding." According to the staff report, the project's funding agreement currently holds $6,473,900 in remaining contingency funds, which is sufficient to absorb the $1.26 million increase. The approval brings the revised construction contract amount to $74,974,931.44. The change order does not include a time extension, and the revised contract completion date remains December 30, 2026.