DATE: 06/17/2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
Honorable President and Board Members
FROM: Utilities Department
2026-183
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL AND
CORONA UTILITY AUTHORITY ACTION
SUBJECT:
EMERGENCY REPAIR OF WELL 15 DISCHARGE LINE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks City Council to receive and file notification of emergency action and authorize the City Manager to execute the City’s model Short Form Construction Contract with Insituform Technologies, LLC to install Cured-In-Place Pipe Liner into the 14-inch discharge piping from Well 15.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council:
a. Receive and file the notification of emergency repair of Well 15 discharge line pursuant to Corona Municipal Code Section 3.08.130(A).
b. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the City’s model Short Form Construction Contract with Insituform Technologies, LLC, for a total contract of $374,736 including the ability to negotiate and execute non-substantive changes and extensions, purchase orders and amendments up to $37,474 or 10% of the contract amount.
c. Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to issue a Purchase Order to Insituform Technologies, LLC, in the amount of $374,736 for the Well 15 Discharge Line Repair.
d. Create a new operating and maintenance project titled “Well 15 Discharge Line Repair” and authorize an appropriation in the amount of $492,510 from the Water Utility Fund 570 to this project.
That the Corona Utility Authority review, ratify, and to the extent necessary, direct the City Council to take the above actions.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The Utilities Department is responsible for the maintenance and repair of water, sewer, and reclaimed water infrastructure. Over time, underground pipe infrastructure tends to show signs of interior build up or deterioration - often leading to leaks that may require deep excavations to repair. The City’s underground infrastructure is composed of pipelines varying in size, material, and age. Most pipelines have an expected service life between 50-100 years, yet actual longevity is highly dependent on environmental conditions and operational factors, requiring ongoing assessment and rehabilitation efforts to ensure system reliability and regulatory compliance.
Well 15, situated just north of the 91 Freeway off Lincoln Avenue, has a 14-inch diameter discharge line which was installed in the early 1980s, which discharges well water from Well 15 and crosses under the State Route 91 Freeway. The length of the discharge line is 663 linear feet. A leak was recently discovered near the edge of the freeway in the well discharge line. The existing line is a corrugated steel pipe installed through a jack and bore process and the actual life expectancy under those conditions is unknown. The line is likely leaking because of the age of the line, soil conditions, freeway settling, and water intrusion. Because of the location of the leak, it cannot be repaired without addressing the section of pipe located under the freeway. Well 15 has been out of service since the leak was detected because the water must pass through the discharge line to reach the well collector line. The line is not actively leaking because Well 15 has been shut off. This well typically produces one million gallons per day of groundwater and is an important source of local water for the City. The City is approaching the typical high water production season and resuming pumping from this well is important to the City’s water portfolio.
Operational considerations are especially pronounced when utility pipelines cross major transportation corridors such as the 91 Freeway. All work performed in these sensitive areas require careful planning to mitigate risks to public safety, minimize traffic disruptions, and protect adjacent infrastructure such as roads and freeways.
ANALYSIS:
Staff evaluated multiple options to repair or replace this line based on the location and the size of the line: jack and bore, slip line and cure-in-place-pipe liner.
Jack and Bore
Staff considered the possibility of Jack and Bore under the freeway to install a new line.
Jack and Bore would involve horizontal construction with a hydraulic jack pushing the steel casing through the ground while a rotating auger creates a path for the pipe to be inserted. This process is most effective for shorter distances between 50-300 feet and with smaller pipe diameters. This would require full engineering design for construction and permitting across several agencies and would take months to years to complete.
Slip Line
Staff considered the option of slip-lining the existing line. That would involve the insertion of a smaller pipe into the existing pipe, where the old pipe acts as a host and the annular pipe is then filled with grout. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe is inserted by individual segments, fused with the next segment, and pushed into the host pipe one by one. Since the host pipe would be the existing or old pipe, there would be a substantial loss in dimension with the new slipped line, thereby reducing the capacity of the waterline and the ability to fully utilize Well 15. The fused joints would still be considered weak points. The Utilities Department has experienced issues with fused joints in the past and considers them a risk to use, particularly under the 91 Freeway.
Cured-In-Place-Pipe (CIPP) Liner
Staff considered the option of installing a liner in the existing pipe. This would involve the insertion of a glass fabric liner into the existing pipe that stretches and conforms to the pipe. The Utilities Department has successfully utilized similar CIPP lining rehabilitation methods on metallic pipes in the past. Once installed and cured, the liner forms into a new pipe with only a slight decrease in diameter.
Factors Jack and Bore Slip-Lining Liner
Estimated Cost $2 million + $250,000-$400,000 $374,736
Time to Complete Minimum 3-6 Months
- Design and Bidding 2 Days - Installation 1 Day - Installation Pipeline Capacity
Impact No change Significant reduction Slight reduction Useful Life* 100 years 50-100 years 50-100 years
Recommended No No Yes
*Based on pipe material
Staff proceeded with the CIPP lining approach through Insituform Technologies, LLC, (Insituform) in order to restore Well 15 to active service, pursuant to Corona Municipal Code Section 3.08.130(A), which states as follows:
(A) Emergencies. In situations determined by the City Manager to constitute an emergency for a public project pursuant to § 22035 of the Act and Cal. Public Contract Code § 22050. The City Council hereby delegates to the City Manager the power to declare a public emergency and take any directly related and immediate action required by the emergency, up to a total of $500,000, pursuant to § 22035 of the Act and Cal. Public Contract Code § 22050.
Emergency expenditures of more than $500,000 shall first be approved by the City Council. Work shall be performed without the benefit of competitive bidding, either formal or informal, only so long as necessary under those sections.
For projects of more than the amount provided for in § 22032(a) of the Act (currently $75,000), a report on the emergency and work performed shall be provided at the next regular meeting of the City Council, and then at every meeting thereafter required by § 22050. At such meetings, the City Council shall determine, by a four-fifths vote, that there is a need to continue the action without the benefit of informal or formal competitive bidding in accordance with § 22035 of the Act and Cal. Public Contract Code § 22050. The City Council shall terminate the emergency action at the earliest possible date that conditions warrant, so that the remainder of the emergency action may be completed pursuant to a formal bidding procedure.
Staff believes this situation meets the definition of an emergency as the need to restore an active production well to service is critical to the water supply of the City, particularly entering the high-water demand and fire protection season. Further, Insituform participated in a competitive bidding process conducted by OMNIA Partners. Insituform, under the parent company Azuria, was awarded a contract for Waterworks Materials, Services, Operations and Related Solutions and the pricing provided to the City is better than the pricing in the OMNIA Partners contract.
As of May 27, 2026, Insituform is manufacturing the liner to prepare for installation.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Approval of the recommended actions will result in an appropriation of $492,510 from the Water Utility Fund 570 to the newly created Operating and Maintenance Project titled “Well 15 Discharge Line Repair.” There is sufficient working capital in the Water Utility Fund 570 for the recommended actions.
Task Cost
City Labor and Materials for East to West Line
Replacement
$66,000
Paving $7,000
Insituform Technologies Short Form Construction
Contract
$374,736
Total $447,736
10% Contingency $44,774
Total Appropriation Requested $492,510
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15302 (c) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Action (CEQA), which states that “operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that existing at the time of the CEQA determination” and is therefore exempt from CEQA. This action consists of the lining of an existing waterline and therefore, is exempt from the requirements of CEQA. No environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: KATIE HOCKETT, ASSISTANT UTILITIES DIRECTOR REVIEWED BY: TOM MOODY, UTILITIES DIRECTOR