FPUD approves Green Canyon force main change order

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

The Fallbrook Public Utility District approved a change order to FPUD’s contract with Blue Pacific Engineering and Construction for the Green Canyon force main replacement project.

FPUD’s board voted 5-0 July 25 to approve the change order, which added $59,907.22 to the contract.

“During construction, we encountered some unforeseen circumstances. The biggest one was the thickness of the existing pavement on Mission Road,” said FPUD senior engineer Aaron Cook.

The Green Canyon force main replacement project replaced a four-inch polyvinylchloride pipe in South Mission Road. Blue Pacific, which is based in San Diego, submitted the low bid of $248,000 and the October 2021 FPUD board meeting awarded Blue Pacific the contract.

Some of the pavement sections on South Mission Road were up to 18 inches thick, which increased the excavation and repaving effort. The plans did not show an eight-inch sewer pipe or a 30-inch storm drain pipe, so additional utility location was required and a deeper force main needed to be installed to avoid those utilities.

The contract called for the replacement of approximately 1,400 linear feet of pipe, but an additional 180 linear feet were required to replace a section of deteriorated pipe. Existing fittings at the Green Canyon Lift Station were also replaced to improve restraint.

The change order for an additional $59,907.22 increased the total contract amount to $307,907.22. FPUD’s 2021-22 wastewater capital budget allocated $350,000 for the project, so no additional appropriations were required.