OC San selects Stantec for $5.1M sewer rehab design amid easement access challenges

OC San selects Stantec for $5.1M sewer rehab design amid easement access challengesThe district has tapped Stantec Consulting Services to design repairs for aging 1960s infrastructure, a project complicated by residential structures blocking access to critical utility corridors.

Stantec Consulting Services was recommended for a $5.1 million design contract for the North Tustin-Orange Sewer Rehabilitation Project.

The project targets 140 corroded manholes and pipeline repairs at 17 locations in Tustin, Orange, and unincorporated areas.

Designers face challenges regaining access to easements where residents have built fences, gardens, and RV parking over district assets.

OC San is conducting a separate, district-wide study to map easements and standardize its legal approach to removing encroachments.

The Orange County Sanitation District (OC San) Operations Committee has recommended the Board of Directors approve a Professional Design Services Agreement with Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. for the North Tustin-Orange Sewer Rehabilitation Project. The agreement is valued at a not-to-exceed amount of $5,086,373, with an additional 10% contingency. The project, identified as Project No. 7-69, addresses infrastructure built in the 1960s that is now suffering from aging and corrosion. According to Collections Design Supervisor Maryann Klein, the scope includes pipeline repairs at 17 locations and the rehabilitation of 140 manholes. Klein noted that while cracked pipes will primarily be addressed using cured-in-place pipe liners, sections where pipes are sagging due to settled bedding will require open-cut trench replacement. The manholes, many showing exposed rebar due to sewer gas corrosion, will be lined with cured-in-place or spray-applied products. A significant complication for the design phase is physical access. Klein presented examples of district easements that have been encroached upon by neighboring properties, including an old railroad corridor where residents have installed fences, expanded gardens, and RV parking over the utility lines. "We're just looking for innovative ways to try and regain access so that we can properly maintain our pipe and facilities," Klein told the committee. The issue of encroachment sparked discussion regarding the district's ability to recover costs for clearing these obstructions. Assistant General Manager Lorenzo Tyner explained that the district is currently undertaking a separate study to process and map all easements to determine ownership rights and identify obstructions. "We are coming up with an overall process to try and treat them all the same," Tyner said, noting that the district intends to notify owners and standardize its approach to easement enforcement. Stantec was selected from a pool of 10 proposals. Staff highlighted the firm's understanding of the project and innovative ideas for long-term maintainability, pointing to a portfolio that includes the local Seal Beach Pump Station Rehabilitation and major conveyance upgrades across California, such as San Jose’s 4th Street Interceptor.