City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: OCTOBER 6, 2026 FROM: COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WARD: 3
DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: AGREEMENT FOR THE CONVEYANCE OF EASEMENTS WITH SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAS COMPANY FOR EXCLUSIVE AND NON-EXCLUSIVE INTEREST OF CITY-OWNED LAND APPROXIMATELY 23,555 SQUARE FEET LOCATED AT THE RIVERSIDE’S REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL PLANT AND RIVERSIDE ENERGY RESOURCE CENTER, IDENTIFIED AS A PORTION OF ASSESSOR’S PARCEL NUMBERS 155-070-031, 163-300-014 AND 189-120-001 FOR THE INSTALLATION, TRANSPORTATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF BIOGAS ISSUE:
Consider approval of the Agreement for the Conveyance of Easements with Southern California Gas Company (SoCal Gas), for the conveyance of approximately 23,555 square feet of exclusive and non-exclusive interest of City-owned land located at the Riverside’s Regional Water Quality Control Plant (RWQCP) and Riverside Energy Resource Center (RERC), identified as portions of Assessor’s Parcel Numbers 155-070-031, 163-300-014 and 189-120-001 for the installation, transportation and distribution of biogas.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
Approve the Agreement for the Conveyance of Easements (Attachment 1) for a portion of City-owned land, identified as Assessor’s Parcel Numbers 155-070-031, 163-300-014 and 189-120-001, located at the RWQCP and RERC facilities; and Authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to execute the Agreement with SoCal Gas including making minor and non-substantive changes, and to sign all documents necessary to complete the transaction.
BACKGROUND:
The Public Works Department, Wastewater Division operates the City’s Regional Water Quality Control Plant (RWQCP) and manages the Sewer Enterprise Fund. To support the City’s Solid Waste Division compliance with CalRecycle food waste diversion regulations, the RWQCP will use the excess biogas and future biogas created from food waste to produce renewable energy. Through the RWQCP’s P3 agreement with Riverside Bioenergy, this biogas will be upgraded into renewable natural gas, further advancing the City’s sustainability and resourcerecovery goals.
SoCal Gas provides natural gas services for approximately 21.6 million customers and is the owner and operator of the distribution system. They are committed to helping the environment and supporting biogas development in California to meet the state’s greenhouse gas goals. As part of their commitment, they offer expertise and assistance to customers who want to convert biogas into Renewable Natural Gas (RNG), a carbon-neutral fuel. RNG produced from organic waste, as found at the RWQCP, will result in a carbon-neutral fuel.
DISCUSSION:
The proposed pipeline alignment will start at the outlet valve of the Point of Receipt (POR) facility, located within the City of Riverside’s Regional Water Quality Control Plant property as shaded above in blue by City granting approximately 9,358 square foot exclusive easement for the construction of this facility for the manufacturing of biogas by SoCal Gas. From this point, the entire alignment will extend approximately 15 feet wide and 1,056 feet long, where it will be installed along the internal roadway of the plant on the east side for approximately 150 feet and transition to eastern shoulder for approximately 500 feet. The pipeline route will cross from RWQCP through the City of Riverside Public Utilities property at the Riverside Energy Resource Center (RERC). The pipeline will extend approximately 400 feet to be installed primarily on the unpaved service road and ultimately connect to an existing 30-inch high-pressure gas pipeline near Transmission Valve Station ID824IE as it connects at the SoCal Gas property (APN: 189-120-002), as shown in the map.
Most of the pipeline alignment within the facility will be installed along the east side of the internal roadway and unpaved shoulder within the plant at varying depths below grade to avoid existing substructures. The alignment within the City of Riverside Public Utilities property has been designed to maintain adequate clearance from the recently designed Southern California Edison Transmission tower (AX-5), maintaining approximately 10 to 15 feet of separation adjacent to the Utility’s pipeline alignment.
The pipeline route was developed through multiple coordination meetings with SoCalGas, Southern California Edison, and the City of Riverside to determine the most accurate location of the proposed transmission tower foundation near the point where the SoCalGas pipeline turns eastbound towards Line 2001 West. From this location, the pipeline will proceed northeast along the existing service road, continuing at varying depths to avoid existing substructures as it ascends the hill to connect with Line 2001 West at the SoCal Gas facility.
Both the Utilities’ General Manager and the Public Works Director concur with the recommendations in this report.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action outlined in this report for the conveyance of easements.
Prepared by: Ron Duran, Real Property Agent
Approved by: Miranda Evans, Community & Economic Development Director Certified as to
availability of funds: Julie Nemes, Finance Director Approved by: Gilbert Hernandez, Assistant City Manager Approved as to form: James Johnson, City Attorney
Attachments:
Agreement of Conveyance of Easements
Presentation
Agreement for Conveyance of Easements – SoCal Gas ● Page 2