South Coast advances $614,000 GRF brine-line bypass

South Coast advances $614,000 GRF brine-line bypassSouth Coast Water District’s Engineering & Operations Committee has recommended awards for a new bypass line at its Groundwater Recovery Facility, designed to avoid the conditions causing blockages in the existing brine line. Construction is expected to start in November 2026 and conclude in March 2027, if approved by the Board of Directors.

T.E. Roberts is recommended for a construction contract of up to $405,387, plus a $40,538 change-order contingency.

AKM Consulting Engineers is recommended for field inspection services worth up to $152,420, with a further $15,242 contingency.

The scheme will install about 270ft of 6in HDPE pipe to convey RO concentrate directly to the ocean outfall, bypassing the facility’s air-gap structure.

The existing 18in brine line will remain in service for other groundwater recovery facility waste streams.

South Coast Water District’s Engineering & Operations Committee has moved forward with a brine-line improvement scheme at its Groundwater Recovery Facility (GRF), recommending awards that could total $613,587 including construction and inspection contingencies. The project addresses significant blockages in the existing 18in brine line, which conveys several waste streams from the GRF to an ocean outfall at Paseo Costa Sur. Staff said precipitates have accumulated in the line over time, restricting flow. Cleaning the pipeline is both challenging and expensive, and requires the GRF to be taken out of service. An analysis identified discharge of reverse-osmosis concentrate through the plant’s air-gap structure as a leading cause of the precipitate buildup. The proposed long-term remedy is a new approximately 270ft, 6in HDPE pipeline that will convey RO concentrate directly to the ocean outfall, bypassing the air-gap structure. The existing brine line will continue to carry the facility’s other waste streams. The work also includes modifications to the air-gap structure and associated piping, cleaning of the existing structure and brine line, replacement of the outfall connection vault, and connection of the bypass pipeline to the existing outfall. The committee recommended that the Board of Directors authorise a notice of award to T.E. Roberts for construction, at an amount not exceeding $405,387, alongside a 10% change-order authority of $40,538. The district received three bids; staff identified T.E. Roberts as the lowest responsible and responsive bidder. The contractor’s bid was compared with an engineer’s estimate of $378,000. A separate recommendation would award AKM Consulting Engineers up to $152,420 for construction field inspection, with change orders of up to $15,242. AKM was selected from two proposals received from firms on the district’s as-needed construction-management services list. Staff cited the firm’s prior inspection work on district projects and the assigned inspector’s 30 years of experience in water production and distribution construction inspection. The committee also approved a California Environmental Quality Act notice of exemption. Staff said the work qualifies for a Class 2 categorical exemption because it improves existing utility infrastructure for substantially the same purpose and capacity and will be built in previously disturbed areas. The notice was filed with Orange County and the State Clearinghouse on September 22. Contract documents allow 100 working days for construction. Subject to Board approval, South Coast expects work to begin in November 2026, with completion and closeout anticipated in March 2027.