CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
DATE: April 8, 2026 CONSENT CALENDAR
SUBJECT: ACCEPTANCE OF SEWER MASTER PLAN UPDATE, CITY PROJECT CP 23-13
FROM: Scott C. Stiles, City Manager
BY: Engineering Services Department
SUMMARY:
The Sewer Master Plan assesses the public sewer system under existing conditions and establishes a 25-year planning horizon through 2050. The plan update facilitates the development of a Capital Improvement Program, identifying recommended projects necessary to maintain safe, reliable, and efficient sewer service for City customers. The plan addresses the sewer collection conveyance network.
RECOMMENDATION:
Accept and file the 2026 Sewer Master Plan update.
BACKGROUND:
The City’s Sewer Master Plan (SMP) outlines how the sewer system will be developed. It provides an overview of existing sewer and pumping facilities, the sewer atlas geodatabase, system planning criteria, and the hydraulic performance of the system under current and future conditions. The plan also includes the proposed Capital Improvement Program (CIP) needed to support future sewer infrastructure.
The first SMP was completed in 1993, followed by an update in 2009. Since then, continued development, population growth, and normal infrastructure deterioration have made a new SMP update necessary.
On January 25, 2024, City Council approved a professional services agreement with Hazen and Sawyer for the completion of the SMP Update.
On February 24, 2026, Staff completed a review of the SMP, evaluating technical analyses, planning assumptions, projected growth scenarios and recommended Capital Improvements. The review confirmed that the document meets planning objectives,
City Council Staff Report
April 8, 2026 -- Page 2
Acceptance of Sewer Master Plan Update, City Project CP 23-13 providing a framework for guiding future system improvements and capital projects development.
STAFF ANALYSIS:
The following summary highlights significant findings and recommendations from the SMP.
1. Overall system capacity is adequate for dry-weather conditions. A key deliverable of the SMP Update was the recalibration of the hydraulic sewer model. The updated model analysis confirmed that the City’s sewer system has adequate capacity to convey dry-weather flows without significant deficiencies under both existing (2024) and near-term development conditions. This positive outcome indicates that the current network is generally well sized to meet present and short-term service demands (Section 6.2.4).
2. Water conservation significantly extended wastewater treatment plant capacity. Since 2009, wastewater flows have decreased from 7 million gallons per day (MGD) to 5 MGD because of continued water conservation efforts. Although the treatment plant is designed for a capacity of 10.9 MGD, it is currently operating at only about half of that. This reduction of approximately 29% in wastewater flow has occurred despite ongoing development and population growth. This provides an important buffer for the Wastewater Treatment Plant to accommodate future growth without the need to expand capacity (Section 3.1.1).
3. Significant deficiencies are projected at full buildout by 2045. Under the projected buildout scenario, approximately 4.72 MGD of additional flow is anticipated to enter the collections system, with the largest contributors being large industrial parcels in the northern portion of the City. The hydraulic model identified several sewer segments operating at critical and semi-critical capacity under full buildout dry-weather conditions. Most of these constrained segments consist of 8-inch and 10-inch diameter pipes with relatively low slopes. These findings highlight the importance of evaluating future developments and assessing their specific impacts on the sewer network. Improvements to address these deficiencies are already underway; the segment from Cerritos Road to N. Farrell Dr. along Tahquitz Canyon Way is currently in design Section (6.2.3)
4. Capital Improvements Plan recommendations.
The CIP includes ten projects totaling an estimated $8,551,000 (2025 dollars).
These are listed in three priority tiers based on the improvement need. Five of six lift stations (Lift Station No. 6 is new) have assets at or beyond their useful life and are identified as high priorities.
Other projects address deteriorated structures and those with deficient hydraulic characteristics. Table 1 on the following page provides a summary of all recommendations; the projects are described in detail in the SMP, which is included as Attachment A.
City Council Staff Report
April 8, 2026 -- Page 3
Acceptance of Sewer Master Plan Update, City Project CP 23-13 Table 1
CIP
ID
Facility
Type Project Name Project summary Total Cost Priority
LS-1 Lift Station Lift Station 1
Asset replacement
Comprehensive lifecycle replacement of
critical electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic
infrastructure.
$1,661,000 High
LS-2 Lift Station Lift Station 2
Asset replacement Targeted structural and electrical overhaul $1,093,000 High LS-3 Lift Station Lift Station 3
Asset replacement
Renewal of electrical controls and hydraulic
assemblies. $187,000 High
LS-4 Lift Station Lift Station 4
Asset replacement
Site modernization to replace obsolete
electrical controls, and bring fuel storage
into modern environmental compliance
$255,000 High
LS-5 Lift Station Lift Station 5
Asset replacement
Modernization of the facility's power
distribution $165,000 High
LS-6 Lift Station Lift Station 1
Site Improvement
Site structural stabilization to mitigate soil
movement and operational access. $3,095,000 High
LS-7 Lift Station
Lift Stations 3, 4 &
5 Emergency
Power
Shift from fixed underground infrastructure
to a mobile emergency response protocol. $713,000 High
MH-1 Manhole
Bolero Manhole
Rehabilitation &
Realignment
Structural rehabilitation and hydraulic
optimization of the Bolero sewer reach. $1,190,000 Medium MH-2 Manhole Mesquite Ave
Manhole Addition
Replace a restrictive wye connection with a
standard manhole $113,000 Medium
P-1 Pipeline
E Sunny Dunes Rd
Pipeline Condition
Assessment
Hydraulic investigation and physical
condition assessment of 4,090 linear feet of
pipeline
$79,000 Low
TOTAL PROGRAM COST $8,551,000
Staff recommends that the SMP be accepted and used as the basis for planning improvements to the sewer collection system. The SMP also serves as a reference for evaluating development impacts on the sewer network.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) Guidelines Section 15306 “Information Collection”, Class 6 projects consist of basic data collection, research, experimental management, and resource evaluation activities which do not result in a serious or major disturbance to an environmental resource. These may be strictly for information gathering purposes, or as part of a study leading to an action which a public agency has not yet approved, adopted, or funded. Therefore, Staff has determined that acceptance of the Sewer Master Plan, City Project No. 23-13 action, is considered categorically exempt from CEQA.
ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PLANNING:
This item aligns with the following City Council Strategic Plan Broad Goal: Infrastructure and Facilities.
City Council Staff Report
April 8, 2026 -- Page 4
Acceptance of Sewer Master Plan Update, City Project CP 23-13 FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with the action requested.
REVIEWED BY:
Department Director: Joel Montalvo
Assistant City Manager: Flinn Fagg
City Manager: Scott Stiles
ATTACHMENTS:
A. Sewer Master Plan
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