OCWD Santiago Basin Floating Pump Station

Location:

Orange, California

Value:

$3,600,000

Completion:

2012

Owner:

Orange County Water District

Contractor:

RSH Construction (General Contractor) and American Fiberglass (Fabricator)

Butier Engineering, Inc. provided construction management and inspection services for the construction of a floating pump station that allows for the transfer of stored water from OCWD’s Santiago Basins to other OCWD facilities. On-Site Technical Services performed as a subconsultant to Butier and provided the following services: witness pump performance testing; in-process fabrication inspection of the barge; review of electrical submittals; erection support; start-up support; and testing the PLC control system.

The Santiago Basins are comprised of three basins: Bond, Blue Diamond, and Smith. The project was constructed in Bond Basin. The pump station has increased groundwater recharge for OCWD and allowed the maximization of storage capacity in the Basins during storm events. The floating pump station replaced an existing submersible pump station that was found to be unreliable.

The pump station was constructed on a floating platform, connected to a 1,400-foot long, 32-inch floating discharge pipeline that is mostly submersed and slightly below the water surface. The discharge pipeline connects to the existing pipeline that conveys flows out of the Basins. An area of 1,300 square ft. on the Bond Basin slope was excavated to connect the floating pipeline to the existing pipeline. Riparian vegetation was cleared to create a lay down area for the floating pipeline during periods when the basins are dewatered. The cleared lay down area allows the floating pipeline to be inspected and maintained.