DATE: March 25, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Water Utilities Department
TITLE: APPROVE CONTINUATION OF EMERGENCY WORK TO REPAIR THE 18-INCH MESA LOMA WATER MAIN AT LOMA ALTA CREEK
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council determine there remains a need to continue emergency work on the 18-inch Mesa Loma Water Main.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
In January 2024, staff isolated a leaking segment of the 18-inch Mesa Loma Water Main near Loma Alta Creek and activated the Mesa Loma Pump Station to maintain service. Emergency permits were secured in early 2025 from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, and North County Transit District (NCTD). Cass Arrieta, the City's emergency contractor, began work in April 2025 and repaired a section of defective pipe found within the creek directly north of the NCTD tracks. Subsequent inspections revealed additional deficiencies in multiple joints near the initial repair site.
To address the corrosion found in the segment north of the tracks, approximately 300 feet of the existing pipe was lined and final connections were completed September 30, 2025. Upon completion of the work, the existing pipe that had been isolated for the repair work was pressure tested and failed to hold pressure. Another leak was found in the pipeline south of the railroad tracks where the existing steel pipeline has similar interior lining and corrosion defects. In December 2025, work began on the construction of 150 feet of PVC pipe to replace the existing steel pipe south of the tracks with a more corrosion-resistant system.
The replacement pipe has been installed and is expected to be back in service following proper disinfection and testing procedures. Final site restoration and project completion is currently anticipated by the end of March 2026, subject to weather and site conditions.
Change Order No. 1 executed on August 6, 2025, in the amount of $182,9...
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