The APWA Central Coast Chapter awarded the Nipomo Community Services District’s Supplemental Water Project the 2016 Public Works Project of the Year in the Environment Category and Over $15M Division!
The Nipomo Supplemental Water Project Phase 1 is a $17.5M public works construction project, supported by a $2.2M State of California Department of Water Resources Grant. The project facilitates interconnection of four regional water providers and the importation of developed water from the City of Santa Maria to the Nipomo Mesa Management Area (NMMA) in accordance with a court order. The project, constructed in three bid phases, increases Nipomo’s water resources and supply reliability for generations to come.
Prior to the construction of this project, for over 50 years, Nipomo relied entirely on groundwater coming from the Santa Maria Groundwater Basin. This project is part of a long-term solution to help balance water supply and increase supply reliability. The ultimate goal is to be able to provide the capacity to deliver 3,000 acre-feet of water per year to the NMMA.
Since July 2, 2015, when the supplemental water started delivery to the Nipomo Mesa, over 100 million gallons of water have been delivered, reducing the Nipomo Community Service District’s groundwater pumping within the NMMA by the same amount.
“This is truly a monumental accomplishment for the District,” District General Manager Michael LeBrun said. “This project will increase District water supply reliability for generations to come.”
The project team consisted of Nipomo CSD staff; AECOM as the design manager; MNS Engineers, Inc. as construction management; and ARB, Inc., D-KAL Engineering, Inc., and Spiess Construction Co., Inc. as contractors for the three bid packages. As subconsultants, Rincon Consultants, Inc. provided environmental permitting and monitoring; Fugro Consultants, Inc. provided construction materials testing; and Lenhardt Engineering provided the stormwater pollution prevention program.
The project interconnected the NCSD water distribution system with the City of Santa Maria water distribution system. It included approximately 7,500 lineal feet of 24-inch diameter ductile iron pipe waterline, 2,600 lineal feet of 24-inch nominal inside diameter high-density polyethylene pipe under the Santa Maria River, a flow meter and flow control station, a 400 gallon-per-minute pump station with two pumps, a chloramination system, and related power, back-up power, controls and instrumentation systems, a pressure reducing station, and chloramination systems at four existing NCSD production wells.
MNS Engineers, Inc., is a multi-service infrastructure consulting firm, specializing in construction management, civil engineering, and land surveying services. The company has served the transportation, water resources, government services, and federal markets since 1962, and prides itself on making a positive difference to California communities every day.