Capital Improvement Programs
To effectively respond to the needs of the recycled water system, West Basin administers a Capital Improvement Program (CIP) that focuses on the installation of new infrastructure and equipment, or the restoration of existing assets. The District also produces a comprehensive recycled water Capital Implementation Master Plan (CIMP) to guide long-term planning and reliability objectives. In general, the CIP supports the following:
- Safeguarding recycled water system capacity and reliability
- Preserving water quality obligations
- Responding to changing regulatory requirements
- Evaluating the potential for future customers
New Infrastructure
New infrastructure and equipment are added to the recycled water system for reasons that may include the following:
- Increasing customer connections through distribution system expansions and customer lateral construction
- Increasing system capacity through expansion of existing treatment systems or inclusion of new treatment systems
- Addressing water quality or regulatory requirements with new treatment technologies, unit processes, or equipment
Repair & Rehabilitation
As infrastructure ag, the repair and replacement of existing equipment and systems is essential for long-term achievement of quality and capacity goals. For this reason, West Basin’s CIP includes a repair and rehabilitation (R&R) component intended to extend the useful life of existing facilities and equipment.es
Project Implementation Phases
Planning
Feasibility studies help assess the practicality of a proposed project. In general, these studies assess five areas of feasibility: technical, economic, legal, operational, and schedule.
Design
Once a project is identified as feasible, it may move into the design phase. The designers will define the project through detailed specification documents and construction drawings. The final deliverable from the design phase is a "ready-to-advertise" bid package. This package includes a complete design (design analysis, specifications, and drawings) with annotated design submittal review comments that answer and/or incorporate comments from the final design submittal review.
Construction
The majority of West Basin’s construction projects are considered Public Works Construction Projects. Public works means:
- Construction, alteration, demolition, installation, or repair work done under contract and paid in whole or in part out of public funds.
- It can include preconstruction and post-construction activities related to a public works project.
- For a full definition of public works refer to Labor Code section 1720.
Anyone working on a public works project must be paid prevailing wages as determined by the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR). Projects of $30,000 or more must meet DIR’s apprenticeship requirements. Failure to comply with public works requirements can result in civil penalties, criminal prosecution, or both.
Types of Projects
Recycled Water Pipelines & Laterals
New pipeline alignments and customer laterals that are necessary to expand the system.
Treatment Plant Expansions
At each of West Basin’s treatment facilities, there are more than 30 discreet treatment systems dedicated to producing recycled water. Treatment plant expansions range from the addition of new unit process for redundancy or reliability, or a wholesale facility expansion intended to increase the treatment capacity of the system.
R&R of Existing Facilities
West Basin has a substantial range of assets of varying ages, and the existing infrastructure requires repair and maintenance on a regular basis. R&R projects are a critical part of ensuring the health and longevity of West Basin’s system. These types of projects can include, but are not limited to simple replacement or repair for equipment such as pipes, pumps, tanks, instrumentation, or treatment process elements.
Capital Assets
Repair or refurbishment expenses to the existing capital assets under certain circumstances may be capitalized. The criteria for determining whether the expenditure is an expense or capital asset requires knowledge of the effect the repair will have on the capital asset. To be considered as a capital asset, these conditions must be met:
- Total repair or refurbishment cost of one job must be $10,000 or more, and;
- After the repair or refurbishment, the remaining useful life of the existing asset must be extended by at least three (3) years.
If the above conditions are not met, the cost of repair or refurbishment will be considered as operations and maintenance expenses.