Rainbow approves design contract to relocate pipelines

In the long term the Rainbow Municipal Water District will be relocating pipelines which are currently on private property.

Rainbow's board voted 4-0 October 23, with Bill Stewart absent, to approve a professional services contract with Omnis Engineering for design services to relocate various pipelines.

"This will allow for better access for crews and also relieve some people from having pipelines behind their homes," said Rainbow general manager Tom Kennedy.

A separate 4-0 vote updated the district's Administrative Code to establish right-of-way policies and procedures.

"This policy establishes the allowable uses for those easements," Kennedy said.

Rainbow has numerous easements on private property. "Many times these pipelines were there already," Kennedy said.

Subdivisions resulted in those easements being on smaller parcels. "They left the pipelines where they were," Kennedy said.

The infrastructure on private property makes maintenance more difficult and increases the cost of pipe failures. "We're going to try to put the pipelines into proper roadways," Kennedy said.

The contract approved Oct. 23 involves the design of four pipeline relocations and the installation of two pipe segments which will connect a housing tract to a lower-pressure zone.

"We identified several high-priority pipelines," Kennedy said. "This is the first of what will be an ongoing process."

The plans, specifications, and estimates for Via Vera north of Lilac Road involve both an interim improvement design goal and an ultimate improvement design goal; the actual relocation into the ultimate site may have to wait until funding is available. The contract also covers analysis and preparation of plans, specifications, and estimates for the relocation of pipelines along Disney Lane, Eagles Perch, and Sagewood Road.

Design of at least two pipe segments, along with appurtenances, will be performed for facilities in the vicinity of Sarah Ann Drive crossing Gird Road which will provide water service to the tract east of Gird Road from a higher-pressure zone to a lower-pressure zone while disconnecting the area from the high-pressure zone. Once the plans and specifications for the relocations are complete the Rainbow district will advertise the actual relocation for bid.

Rainbow staff issued a request for proposals on Aug. 22, and four firms responded by the Sept. 28 deadline. The proposals were reviewed and evaluated based on the executive summary, the project description, local and other experience, past performance, and creative alternatives. Omnis was determined to be the most qualified firm which responded. The contract with Omnis has a limit of $258,130.

Rainbow's Administrative Code already included a requirement to dedicate property and provide easements required for water and sewer system facilities, but the Administrative Code had not previously included a policy which establishes regulations, policies, and procedures to protect and preserve the district's property interests necessary for the construction and maintenance of pipelines and associated infrastructure.

A new chapter added to the Administrative Code includes definitions of prohibited uses of Rainbow's right-of-way while also defining and determining that certain uses by other public agencies, public utilities, or property owners are compatible or may be compatible under certain circumstances. The new chapter establishes regulations and procedures to authorize compatible uses.