IEUA’s RP-5 expansion faces nearly three-year delay despite budget adherence

IEUA’s RP-5 expansion faces nearly three-year delay despite budget adherenceThe California agency’s flagship MBR project has hit 100% of its contract duration but requires substantial additional time for systems testing and commissioning.

The RP-5 expansion is now projected for completion in October 2027, significantly past the original January 2025 deadline.

Contractor W.M. Lyles has been 86% paid, while the project remains within budget despite the timeline extension.

Delays stem from COVID-19 impacts, generator delivery issues, and ongoing monthly schedule slippage.

Current work focuses on factory acceptance testing for the Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) control systems.

The Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) reported significant schedule slippage on its Regional Water Recycling Plant No. 5 (RP-5) expansion during a January 21 board meeting, with final completion now projected for October 23, 2027. Principal Engineer Brian Wilson informed the board that the project has reached 100% of its contract time. The original completion date of January 2025 had previously been extended to January 2026 via a change order citing COVID-19 impacts and concurrent delays regarding generator breaker control systems and delivery. However, current projections from the contractor, W.M. Lyles, indicate the project will not finish until late 2027. "We've seen slippage every month," Wilson stated. A board member noted that the project is effectively facing a delay of nearly three years from its initial timeline. Despite the schedule challenges, staff confirmed to the board that the project remains within its approved budget. The current schedule difficulties mark a departure from W.M. Lyles’ established track record in the region. The firm has previously delivered major infrastructure projects, such as the $103.5 million Visalia Water Conservation Plant MBR upgrade and the Rialto S1 Wastewater Treatment Plant improvements, the latter of which was completed three months ahead of schedule in 2020. Financial progress indicates that W.M. Lyles has been 86% paid on the contract. Parsons, serving as the designer, is 97% paid, while Arcadis, acting as construction manager, is 77% paid. Wilson noted that an amendment for Parsons will be brought forward later in the year to assist with the extended timeline. Work is currently focused on process controls and programming. Factory acceptance testing for the Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) system is underway, involving the verification of software, graphics, and alarm systems. The project team is also managing the transition of control systems, with upcoming work on the "Primary 2" controllers set to bring new bar screens, fine screens, and influent pumps online. The biosolids portion of the facility is projected for completion in November 2026. Once the new systems are fully operational and have established a runtime history, the agency plans to decommission the older Regional Plant No. 2 (RP-2).