Los Angeles triples Carollo support budget for 45mgd groundwater-replenishment scheme
LA Sanitation & Environment, California · Meeting date: November 2, 2026 · Published: November 3, 2026
The Board of Public Works has lifted Carollo Engineers’ task-order ceiling from $4.32 million to $12.59 million for work supporting the Los Angeles Groundwater Replenishment programme at the Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant. The increase follows a major expansion of the advanced water purification project and is to be fully reimbursed by LADWP.
Key points
- The Board unanimously approved an $8.27 million increase in Carollo Engineers’ TOS S-42B ceiling, taking it from $4.32 million to $12.59 million, including contingency.
- The additional authority supports a 45mgd Advanced Water Purification Facility, expanded from 25mgd around June 2025, alongside equalization basins and other programme works.
- Carollo’s amended task-order amount, excluding contingency, rises from $3.89 million to $11.40 million; its engagement continues through June 30, 2029.
- LASAN said LADWP will reimburse all costs under its existing memorandum of agreement, with $1.5 million identified in the 2026-27 Sewer Capital Fund.
Full report
Los Angeles’ Board of Public Works has approved a major increase in consultant authority for the Los Angeles Groundwater Replenishment (LAGWR) programme, raising Carollo Engineers’ ceiling by $8.27 million to $12.59 million as the city advances a 45mgd indirect potable-reuse scheme at the Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant.
The unanimous November 2 decision authorises LA Sanitation and Environment (LASAN) to amend Task Order Solicitation S-42B, which provides programme and construction-management support for LAGWR. The underlying Carollo task order, excluding contingency, will increase from $3.89 million to $11.40 million. Including contingency, the ceiling rises from $4.32 million to $12.59 million. The term remains unchanged, ending June 30, 2029.
The added support follows the expansion of the Advanced Water Purification Facility (AWPF) from 25mgd to 45mgd around June 2025. LASAN said the original task order had been drafted when the AWPF was at 90% design, before the capacity expansion. The larger scheme created work not covered by the original allocation, including design and submittal reviews, responses to requests for information, flow studies, schedule management, outreach and contract negotiations.
The AWPF is a core component of LAGWR, a joint LASAN-LADWP programme intended to purify tertiary-treated water for indirect potable reuse. Product water is to be conveyed via an existing LADWP purple-pipe line to the Hansen Spreading Grounds. LASAN said the 45mgd programme is intended to provide a drinking-water supply equivalent for 500,000 Angelenos.
Carollo’s remit covers programme components from wastewater collection systems through to the AWPF discharge point. Its amended scope includes engineering support for progressive design-build contracts, permitting assistance for the California indirect potable-reuse permit and potential changes to the existing NPDES permit, construction management, operation-optimisation planning and a project-management information system required under the LASAN-LADWP agreement and Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act requirements.
The largest increases are allocated to engineering services, up $2.68 million; construction-management support, up $2.09 million; and miscellaneous as-needed services, up $2.57 million. LASAN said the latter category is expected to support work including Los Angeles River flow management, additional power analysis for the expanded AWPF, recovery of wastewater flows and outreach to industry and funding agencies. Vice President Jenny Chavez asked that as-needed tasks be reported to the board once defined because of the scale of the allocation.
LASAN said re-procuring the work would take about a year and would disrupt continuity during active construction. Carollo is already supporting reviews of construction documents, requests for information and schedule matters, while the programme moves toward commissioning and start-up activities.
The LAGWR programme also includes two Advanced Water Equalization Basins capable of accommodating 9.2 million gallons of primary wastewater. LASAN said the basins are intended to smooth daily wastewater-flow swings and provide a steadier feed to the AWPF. It said the AWPF was about 65% complete and that the equalization basins were planned to be operational by July 2027.
The amended Carollo agreement is fully reimbursable by LADWP under the agencies’ memorandum of agreement. LASAN identified $1.5 million in 2026-27 Sewer Capital Fund funding, with remaining funding to be budgeted in future years.
This summary was generated by AI based on the source document and may contain errors.
Source: BPW - Regular Meeting, LA Sanitation & Environment