CWA approves contract for Pipeline 5 repair

The San Diego County Water Authority board unanimously voted to award a construction contract to Fibwrap Construction, Inc., for a repair project covering two pipeline sections in Fallbrook and Bonsall.

The January 25 approval authorizes a contract of $277,245 to Fibwrap for the repairs to the 96-inch pipe. The work will be done during a planned March 4-15 shutdown of Pipeline 5.

Pipeline 5, which was installed in 1982, is a pre-stressed concrete cylinder pipeline and provides untreated water to CWA member agencies. The CWA’s Aqueduct Protection Program includes routine inspection using remote field eddy current transformer coupling (RFEC/TC), which documents pre-stress wire breaks. RFEC/TC inspections in December 2000 and November 2004 were compared and an analysis was conducted which showed that four sections of pipe required rehabilitation. Two of those four were deemed to be of urgent nature and were lined with carbon fiber composites in June 2006. The other two segments consist of a 24-foot section north of State Route 76 and an 18-foot section south of State Route 76.

A public bid opening was held December 19. Fibwrap Construction, Inc., submitted the low bid at $277,245, and CWA staff determined that Fibwrap was qualified to construct the project.

Carbon fiber relining technology is preferred to other methods which require excavation of the pipeline and would have greater community and environmental impacts. The work is expected to be both started and completed during the 12-day scheduled shutdown of Pipeline 5 between the Metropolitan Water District delivery point (seven miles south of the county line) and the Twin Oaks Valley Diversion Structure.