CSD Outlines Water and Sewer Line Relocations in Village
Dec 19, 2024 05:22PM ● By Gail Bullen River Valley Times Reporter
Rancho Murieta Community Services District Operations Director Eric Houston and General Manager Mimi Morris meet with the Murieta Village Association Board and more than 60 residents on Dec. 9. Photo by Gail Bullen
RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - A presentation on the planned relocation of all water and sewer lines in the mobile home park drew a crowd of over 60 residents when Rancho Murieta Community Services District General Manager Mimi Morris and Operations Director Eric Houston met Dec. 9 with the Murieta Village Association Board.
Morris opened the meeting with an apology for the delay in addressing the issue, explaining that a water line retrofit had been included as a capital improvement project in 2021.
“Over $850,000 was allocated for the project, and somehow, it never happened,” she said.
However, Morris emphasized that the CSD Board had recently voted to restart the project, approving $100,000 for preliminary design work during their October meeting. Houston estimated the total project cost at $3 million.
Morris explained that the current water and sewer system is problematic because the original pipes were installed beneath homes when the Village was built 50 years ago. Modern standards require pipes to be placed in the streets, where access and maintenance are much easier.
“Your current configuration is a ticking time bomb,” she said.
The planned relocation project addresses these deficiencies, ensuring that the district assumes responsibility for water lines up to the meter and sewer lines up to the clean-
out. At the same time, homeowners will be responsible for maintenance beyond those points.
The new water meters will be installed at the end of each driveway, while the new sewer cleanouts will be on the opposite side. Homeowners will be responsible for covering the cost of constructing new lines that connect their homes to the district's connection points.
The financial impact of the project on homeowners was a major point of discussion, with an estimated cost of approximately $5,000 per lot — a considerable expense for many senior residents. Morris acknowledged the burden and explained that the district aims to contract with a single vendor to manage all connections, enabling homeowners to spread payments over three to five years. If a property is sold, any remaining financial obligation would transfer to the new owner.
Eric Houston outlined the timeline and technical aspects of the project, emphasizing that it will impact 189 lots and is expected to take three to five years to complete, as the work will be done in phases.
He explained that the project will require significant road excavation and resurfacing, with paving restricted to the months between April and October due to weather limitations. The preliminary design and mapping phase, which will determine the locations of existing meters, clean-
outs and connections, is expected to take at least six months. Consequently, construction is not anticipated to begin for at least a year.
Residents voiced several concerns during the meeting, including whether driveway damage could be avoided.
Houston explained that while the district would make every effort to minimize disruptions, some driveways might need to be excavated depending on the lot configuration.
As for the existing water and sewer lines, Houston noted that many of the old lines would likely remain in place.
“Anything that’s currently in the ground will be grouted so it won’t collapse,” he said.
Residents raised concerns about the Village’s high-water pressure and asked whether the project could include pressure-reducing valves. Houston explained that pressure-reducing valves are typically the homeowner’s responsibility but pledged to evaluate whether the district could incorporate them into the project.
Both Morris and Houston emphasized the district’s commitment to minimizing costs and disruptions for residents.
Morris reiterated that the board would continue exploring options to reduce the financial burden on homeowners, stating, “Our goal is to keep the financial impact as low as possible because this is a significant burden.”
They also assured residents that they would provide regular updates and anticipated meeting with the Murieta Village Association Board several more times as the project progresses.
In the meantime, Houston encouraged residents to report any leaks or unlocated issues to the district immediately.
“We will come out,” he said. “You will no longer need to find your own vendor unless the issue is entirely on your side and your responsibility. If it’s on the district side, we’ll handle the work so you don’t have to incur that cost or wait for reimbursement.”
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