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Mac Dad Builders given CWA construction contract for Dulin Hill erosion repair

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

Mac Dad Builders, Inc., has been given the San Diego County Water Authority construction contract for the Dulin Hill Erosion Repair project.

The SDCWA board vote Aug. 25 authorized CWA general manager Sandra Kerl or her designee to award a $1,965,884 construction contract to Mac Dad Builders, which is based in Irvine. The Dulin Hill Erosion Repair project will repair existing erosion located along the Second Aqueduct on Dulin Hill south of the San Luis Rey River.

The May 2014 Highway fire burned vegetation on Dulin Hill, and CWA staff discovered erosion. An erosion repair project to protect the aqueduct pipelines and to implement protection measures which will mitigate future erosion was developed and prioritized.

The Lilac fire burned the site again in December 2017, and the lack of vegetation on the hillside increased erosion which resulted in the failure of existing erosion control measures and the formation of localized erosion gullies over the pipelines. The erosion control failures and gully formations necessitated corrective action to protect the Second Aqueduct which transports water through Pipeline 3, Pipeline 4, and Pipeline 5.

The design was combined with the San Luis Rey Habitat Management Area Restoration Project, which will create approximately 42 acres of wetlands and other riparian and upland habitat which will provide mitigation for impacts from the CWA's future capital improvement projects or from CWA operations and maintenance activities, to create efficiencies with the civil engineering work at the adjacent locations.

A July 2020 SDCWA board vote approved a $465,069 professional services contract with AECOM for the San Luis Rey Habitat Management Area Restoration and the Dulin Hill Erosion Repair projects. The Dulin Hill Erosion Repair consultant work was for technical support while the San Luis Rey Habitat Management Area Restoration activities included design, bidding, and construction support services.

CWA staff performed the design activities for the Dulin Hill Erosion Repair project, which identified new erosion mitigation measures for future installation, while AECOM provided technical support including recommendations for repairs and enhancements to the existing erosion control measures to stabilize the hillside and protect the Second Aqueduct from future erosion.

CWA staff advertised the Dulin Hill Erosion Repair project for bid June 23. A pre-bid meeting and site visit was conducted June 29. Although Mac Dad Builders was the only company to submit a bid by the July 26 deadline the $1,965,884 amount was within the estimated cost range of $1,500,000 to $2,000,000.

The review indicated that Mac Dad Builders met licensing, bonding, qualifications, and grading experience requirements, that the references cited in the bid indicated the company’s ability to perform the work, and that Mac Dad Builders included all work items in its construction bid.

Mac Dad Builders, Inc., is a certified small business, and the small business participation for the project will be 90.8% with the minority and women-owned business participation being 7.8%.

The repair project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act review. The CWA filed a Notice of Exemption from CEQA review on April 13.

Construction is expected to begin in September 2022 and be complete in spring 2023.

 

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