RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - Originally projected to cost $3 million just 10 months ago, the preliminary estimate to replace Murieta Village’s aging water and sewer lines has now climbed to $9 million.

Engineer Joe Domenichelli delivered the sobering update during the Rancho Murieta Community Services District Improvements Committee meeting on Oct. 2.

A year ago, the district authorized $100,000 for Domenichelli to prepare the project’s preliminary design. His report reflected  the cost of replacing deteriorating infrastructure installed roughly 50 years ago when Murieta Village was built.

The project envisions replacing all backyard water mains and reconnecting every home to new water lines located in the streets, where modern standards now require them for easier access and maintenance. The sewer system, meanwhile, will need additional mains and laterals to replace those currently running behind or beneath homes.

“That will be quite a bit of pipe replacement,” Domenichelli said.

Domenichelli broke down the $9 million estimate into several categories: about $1.1 million for general costs such as bonding, insurance, permitting and demolition of abandoned infrastructure; $3.3 million for water mainline construction; $2.2 million for sewer installation; and $894,000 for pavement restoration after trenching. A 20% contingency – roughly $1.5 million – brings the total to $9 million, which he described as “quite, quite a large cost.”

To help control expenses, Domenichelli proposed reusing six existing sewer mains if inspections show they remain in good condition.

“We could TV the sewer lines, and if they look adequate, we could use some of the main lines,” he said.

Even older pipes that aren’t ideal could serve as casings for a plastic liner, “which would make it much more efficient and last longer.” He estimated that these steps could reduce the construction cost from about $7.5 million to $6 million, “which is still a big number,” he acknowledged.

Committee member Randy Jenco asked Domenichelli about breaking the project into phases.

“It’s always been assumed that we would do this in stages, because it would be too much to bite off in one fell swoop,” he said. Domenichelli said phasing will be addressed as planning continues.

 

The graphic shows where new water mains would be relocated. Courtesy photo

 

Chief Plant Operator Travis Bohannon, filling in for Operations Director Eric Houston, asked that the discussion be continued at the committee’s next meeting on Nov. 4 to allow additional staff input.

Referring to Domenichelli’s suggestion to videotape the sewer lines, Jenco also asked Bohannon to begin looking for a contractor who could perform that inspection.

Bohannon said he knew of three vendors who could provide bids but offered another option. He noted that the district’s contractor, EDCO, has already begun inspecting the district’s water and sewer lines and suggested having EDCO inspect the Village lines to determine their condition.

“Instead of going to, say, Area Two, we could have them do the Village,” he said. “But if we want to do it separately, we would get a bid process together.”

“I’m in favor of sending them over to the Village in lieu of something else that isn’t as high a priority as this,” Jenco responded.

Former General Manager Mimi Morris and Houston briefed Murieta Village residents on the system’s condition last December, telling them the existing configuration – with many water and sewer lines running beneath homes – presents ongoing problems.

“Your current configuration is a ticking time bomb,” Morris told 60 residents attending that meeting.

Houston estimated the total project cost at $3 million. He and Morris also explained that homeowners would be responsible for installing new service connections from their homes to the district’s upgraded system, estimated at about $5,000 per lot. The district plans to place a new water meter at the end of each driveway and new sewer cleanouts on the opposite side.

To reduce the financial strain, Morris said the district would contract with a single vendor to build the service lines, allowing homeowners to spread costs over three to five years. She said the board would also explore additional ways to ease the financial impact on Village residents.

Morris noted that a retrofit of the Village water system had once been included in the district’s 2021 Capital Improvement Plan.

“Over $850,000 was allocated for the project, and somehow it never happened,” she said.