One of our top priorities is to ensure high quality water, a more resilient water system, and long-term sustainability for all residents and businesses.
Securing alternative water sources, improving our infrastructure and implementing new services comes at a cost. However, as your Public Works Agency, we continually strive to better leverage City resources, improve efficiencies, and reduce overall construction costs and time to maximize your dollars.
Our Capital Improvement Program (CIP) projects exemplify our stewardship of Santa Ana’s infrastructure. Through these projects, we are modernizing and improving the reliability of our water system while pursuing new local alternative sources of supply including new groundwater sources.
Water Systems
Integral to the delivery of clean and safe water is the maintenance of our existing network of pipelines. We replace over three to five miles of compromised pipeline each year, identifying and prioritizing the replacement of older pipes that have failed in the past. We also carefully assess the health and functionality of pipelines connected to facilities that provide vital services to our community, such as hospitals, schools and public spaces.
Equally critical is the improvement on the City’s existing wells and pumps. The twenty wells, which currently serve the community, were built between the sixties and early eighties and are reaching the tail end of their fifty-year life expectancy. Accordingly, we are rehabilitating Wells 32 and 29; replacing our two oldest wells with new ones: Walnut and Santiago; and completing the renovation of our Walnut Pumping Station, Santa Ana’s first “green” building. These projects will ensure groundwater is pumped and delivered through our pipelines to your tap with reliability.
Sewer Systems
In addition to improving our existing water systems, the City is also exploring innovative approaches to replace our older sewer lines. Pipe Bursting is one alternative method to replace buried pipelines without the need to excavate a trench. Using high tech machinery, this method expands the existing pipeline allowing for a new pipe to be laid down through the existing one. Once the new pipe has been set in place, the old pipe “bursts” and is removed. This new method is not only safer than trenching and replacing old sewer lines traditionally, it is cheaper and bears less impact on traffic.
Automated Meter Infrastructure (AMI)
Finally, after receiving the necessary $4 million in funding from the State of California, the City has implemented its first phase in our new Automated Meter Infrastructure (AMI) program and is beginning the process of replacing existing meters. AMI allows for real time water meter reads. These readings are not only more accurate, but allow the customers we serve to monitor their meter for leaks and water usage…a key way the City can better serve our community’s commitment to greater sustainability and responsible environmental practices.