DATE: 07/01/2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
Honorable President and Board Members
FROM: Utilities Department
2026-250
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL AND
CORONA UTILITY AUTHORITY ACTION
SUBJECT:
UPDATE ON EMERGENCY REPAIR OF WELL 15 DISCHARGE LINE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report provides the City Council an update on contracted emergency repairs of the Well 15 discharge line.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council receive and file an update to the contracted emergency repairs of the Well 15 discharge line.
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 internal buildup or deterioration, often leading to leaks that may require deep excavations to repair. The City’s underground infrastructure consists of various pipelines of differing sizes, materials, and ages. Most pipelines have an expected service life of 50 to 100 years, yet their actual longevity is highly dependent on environmental conditions and operational factors, requiring ongoing assessment and rehabilitation 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 installed in the early 1980s that carries well water from Well 15 under the 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 using a jack-and-bore process, and its actual life expectancy under those conditions is unknown. The line is likely leaking due to age, soil conditions, freeway settling, and water intrusion. Given the leak’s location, it cannot be repaired without addressing the section of pipe located under the freeway. Well 15 has been shut off and out of service since the leak was detected, given that the water must pass through the discharge line to reach the well collector line. 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 requires careful planning to mitigate risks to public safety, minimize traffic disruptions, and protect adjacent infrastructure such as roads and freeways.
On June 17, 2026, the City Council was formally notified of the contracted emergency repairs for the Well 15 discharge line.
ANALYSIS:
Staff proceeded with the Cured-In-Place-Pipe (CIPP lining) approach through Insituform Technologies, LLC, (Insituform) 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 met the definition of an emergency, as the need to restore an active production well to service is critical to the City's water supply, particularly as the high-water demand and fire protection season approach. 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.
On June 10, 2026, a Purchase Order (PO) was approved by the City Manager and issued to Insituform Technologies for a total amount of $374,736. Insituform has taken measurements of the existing pipe at each access pit and is manufacturing the liner to prepare for installation, which is expected to be delivered and scheduled for installation in July 2026.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Funding for the recommended action is available in the Well 15 Discharge Line Repair Operating and Maintenance Project (PJ_00000527) within the Water Utility Fund (FD_1570).
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
ATTACHMENT:
1. Exhibit 1 – Short Form Construction Contract