01-13-2020 BPU RPT 05 - Laserfiche WebLink

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W A T E R ENERGY I LIFE RIVERSIDE PUBLIC UTILITIES P U B LIC UTILITIES Board Memorandum BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES DATE: JANUARY 13, 2020 ITEM NO: 5 SUBJECT: WORK ORDER NO. 2016734 IN THE AMOUNT OF $750,000 FOR THE FY2019/2020 WATER SERVICE LATERAL REPLACEMENT PROGRAM ISSUE: Approve the capital expenditure for Work Order No. 2016734 in the amount of $750,000 for the FY2019/20 Water Service Lateral Replacement Program. RECOMMENDATION: That the Board of Public Utilities approve the capital expenditure for Work Order No. 2016734 in the amount of $750,000 for the FY2019/20 Water Service Lateral Replacement Program. BACKGROUND: Water service laterals are water lines that deliver water from the water distribution system to each customer. When water service laterals begin to fail, they usually do at weak points in the pipe material. Repairing these leaks consists of locating the leak and replacing the broken portion of the water line. This approach was changed when it was found that repairing the broken portion of the water pipe resulted in repeat failures at different locations along the same service lateral. In 2012, staff adopted the practice of replacing the entire service lateral which has saved time, money, and reduced repeat outages on the same service lateral. Although staff has significantly reduced the repeat service lateral failure rate an overall increase in service lateral leaks has been observed in recent years. The increase in service lateral leaks can be associated with the age of the pipe, pipe materials, and improper service lateral or meter size. The attached graph (Attachment 1) depicts the trend of water service lateral repair and replacement since 2005. DISCUSSION: Staff has put together a proactive water service lateral replacement program that will target neighborhoods that are prone to leaks. The program will take advantage of a planned approached to repairing and replacing service laterals which will save time and money by reducing the number of emergency repairs. The work will be completed by City field forces which can replace five service laterals under a planned event compared to one service lateral replacement under an emergency event. By using a planned targeted approach all "at risk" service laterals are expected to be replaced in four years. The criteria established for service line replacement are as follows: 1. The neighborhood has experienced a high frequency of service lateral failures;