Construction work near your neighborhood will begin in approximately one week to install recycled water piping from Quail Gardens Drive to the Wanket Storage Tank east of the Encinitas Ranch Golf Course. This work is anticipated to be complete in our community by December 2024.
Lauren Court (Quail Hollow) and Ranch Road will be the most impacted developments in the community.
The work will consist of:
• Utility locating, surveying, and temporary fencing installation
• Material and equipment deliveries entering the golf course entrance
• Excavating a trench from the tank to Quail Gardens Drive
• Installing a new recycled water pipeline to serve the community
• Night work to install the pipeline across the golf course off-hours
• Roadwork to connect to the existing recycled water system
• Restoring golf course turf, pavement, sidewalks, and landscaping
How your neighborhood may be impacted:
• Additional construction traffic on Quail Gardens Drive
• Typical construction equipment sounds may be audible
• Lighting during night work may be visible (approx. 6 weeks)
• Night work is expected to begin on September 30th
• Roadwork is expected to begin late October/early November
Hours and Days of Operation:
– Night work Monday through Friday 5:30 PM to 4:30 AM
– Day work Monday through Friday 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM
– If there are any concerns or questions you can contact the San Elijo Joint Powers Authority Construction Manager: CDM Smith, 760-535-0151
BACKGROUND
In 2022, the San Elijo Joint Powers Authority (SEJPA) acquired a one-third ownership interest in the 3-million-gallon Wanket Tank located adjacent to the Encinitas Ranch Golf Course. This potable water storage tank has been out of service for over a decade due to decreased storage needs resulting from water conservation efforts.
SEJPA has developed engineering plans to refurbish the concrete tank and convert it for recycled water storage, along with constructing a connecting pipeline to SEJPA’s existing recycled water system. Enhancing recycled water storage within the distribution system will reduce system stress during peak demand periods, improve service reliability, and increase service capacity. Additionally, during winter storms the Wanket tank will provide needed storage to reduce hydraulic stress to the outfall system.
SEJPA has secured State and Federal grants totaling up to $2 million to partially fund the tank refurbishment and pipeline construction.
The Wanket Tank Project comprises two major components: 1) the connecting pipeline and 2) the tank refurbishment. These were initially bundled with an asset management project to replace aging distribution system valves. The combined project was originally budgeted at
$3.51 million and revised to $3.7 million in September 2023 due to construction inflation. However, the combined strategy did not attract the expected bidder interest and competitive pricing. SEJPA received only one bid, which was nearly $1.4 million higher than anticipated, leading to its rejection in October 2023. To encourage more participation, SEJPA separated the pipeline and tank refurbishment components and deferred the valve replacements.
In November 2023, SEJPA received three competitive bids for the pipeline component, awarding the contract to Ahrens Mechanical for $1,176,500, with construction scheduled to commence later this year. The tank refurbishment underwent a value-engineering process to refine its scope and reduce construction risks and was re-bid in Spring 2024.
Website resources links:
https://www.sejpa.org/images/Agencies_cooperating_to_refurbish_reservoir_for_recycled_water.pdf