RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - With repairs now complete on a failed culvert near the 14th hole on Rancho Murieta Country Club’s north course, Rancho Murieta Community Services District officials have identified four additional drainage failures that will require another round of construction work.

The newly discovered problems, discussed during the June 10 Improvements Committee meeting, include drainage failures at four locations at the golf course.

The committee also reviewed reservoir maintenance activities, infrastructure projects and equipment purchases.

Separate discussions regarding the Water Vision Working Group and the district’s draft Integrated Water Master Plan are covered in separate stories.

Operations Manager Travis Bohannon said the district is still determining whether the damaged drainage facilities fall within district easements or are the responsibility of the country club.

Field Services Supervisor Cory Carskaddon said the failures were discovered at South 1 and North 3, North 8 and North 17. 

He said three of the drainage lines have collapsed, creating sinkholes, while a fourth has collapsed and is preventing proper drainage.

Carskaddon said the North 3 pipe is root-bound and carries runoff from the De La Cruz area across the fairway and into downstream drainage basins.

Bohannon said he hopes to package all four repairs into a single construction project if the facilities are determined to be district responsibilities. 

Bundling the work would allow the district to hire one contractor and avoid multiple mobilization costs, he said.

Interim General Manager Amelia Wilder said locating the original drainage easements has proven difficult because many date back about 40 years. She said she has been working on a blanket drainage easement covering the golf course to simplify future maintenance and repairs.

“In my opinion, drainage is drainage,” Wilder said, arguing for a standing arrangement that would address district drainage facilities wherever they cross golf course property.

Director Randy Jenco agreed, saying that if the facilities are part of the district’s drainage system, responsibility remains with the district regardless of where the infrastructure is located.

Committee members agreed that once staff determines responsibility and obtains bids, the bundled repair project can proceed directly to the Board of Directors for consideration.

The discussion came as the committee received an update on the recently completed culvert replacement near the 14th hole on the north golf course. Bohannon reported that the project has been completed, although the district had not yet received final billing.

The 14th-hole project was cited several times during the discussion as an example of drainage infrastructure crossing golf course property.

The committee also received an update on the Murieta Equestrian Center culvert replacement project.

According to a staff report, the district received multiple bids and awarded the work to M3 Construction. Construction is scheduled to begin on July 1 and is expected to be completed by July 31.

Committee members supported forwarding a three-year aquatic harvesting agreement to the board for approval.

The district annually harvests aquatic vegetation in Lakes Chesbro and Clementia to help maintain water quality and manage plant growth.

 The contractor has offered to hold the price at $15,000 per year for the duration of the three-year agreement. Staff said locking in the current rate would provide cost certainty and assist with long-term budgeting.

The committee also recommended several purchases for board approval.

Among them was the annual renewal of SCADA software licenses used at the district’s water and wastewater treatment facilities. Rockwell Automation submitted a quote of $12,251.39 for the licenses.

Staff also requested approval to purchase a replacement recycle pump for the wastewater treatment plant’s east dissolved air flotation unit. Bohannon said the existing pump has been rebuilt multiple times and is nearing the end of its useful life. The replacement cost is estimated at $9,780.

In addition, the committee supported a master services agreement with Veerkamp Construction that would allow the company to serve as an emergency construction resource for future district projects.

Bohannon reported that the emergency sewer main repair completed near the Yellow Bridge has been fully closed out. All invoices have been received, bringing the total project cost to approximately $107,000.

The committee also reviewed a proposal to update the district’s watershed sanitary survey, which is required by the State of California every five years.

Staff received two bids and recommended hiring Verdantas Engineering for $37,990. The update must be completed by December 2026. The committee agreed to forward the recommendation to the board for final approval.