1 SOUTH COAST WATER DISTRICT
STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date: November 3, 2025 Budgeted: Yes
To: Engineering & Operations Committee Budgeted: $10,000 (FY26) From: Marc Serna, Deputy General Manager Account #: JRW0000006 Briefer: Vernon Weisman, JRWSS Capital
Program Manager
Funding Source: JRWSS CIP
Subject: JOINT REGIONAL WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM (JRWSS) CROWN VALLEY PARKWAY TRANSMISSION MAIN RELOCATION PROJECT –
QUITCLAIM DEED PORTIONS OF WATER TRANSMISSION PIPELINE
EASEMENT CONVEYED IN INSTRUMENT NO. OR5746-657
SUMMARY
The JRWSS Crown Valley Parkway Transmission Main Relocation Project (Project) was successfully completed by T.E. Roberts, Inc. The Project objective to relocate a segment of the Joint Transmission Main (JTM) from an alignment through a residential subdivision between Crown Valley Parkway and Paseo Del Valle to a new alignment within the public right-of-way in Crown Valley Parkway in the City of Laguna Niguel was achieved.
The existing JRWSS facilities located within a residential subdivision in the City of Laguna Niguel (Tract No. 5182) were constructed within a JRWSS water transmission pipeline easement (Easement) recorded on June 7, 1961 (Instrument No. OR5746-657, Book 5746, Page 657, of the Official Records of the County of Orange). The existing JRWSS facilities within the Easement have been abandoned in place and staff does not foresee a need to retain the existing Easement to construct new facilities in the future.
Staff recommends the approval and execution of nineteen (19) Quitclaim Deeds provided in Attachment A to the Staff Report for the Project. Approval is required by the governing bodies of MNWD, City of San Clemente, and SCWD to execute the Quitclaim Deeds.
RECOMMENDED ACTION
In its capacity as the Designated Operator on behalf of the JRWSS, the SCWD Engineering and Operations Committee recommends the SCWD Board of Directors authorize the General Manager to approve and execute the Quitclaim Deeds of real property provided in Attachment A to the Staff Report, that remise, release, and quitclaim any and all District right, title, and interest to the legal owners of those portions of real property identified in Instrument No. OR5746-657 as recorded in Book 5746, Page 657, of the official records, in the Office of the County Recorder of said Orange County.
Attachment 2
2 BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS
Background:
In April 2000, the Joint Regional Water Supply System (JRWSS) administrative committee appointed SCWD as the Designated Operator of the Joint Transmission Main facilities, which are part of the JRWSS. SCWD also accepted responsibility for contract operations and maintenance of the former Tri-Cities Municipal Water District system, which is part of the JRWSS. The JRWSS system consists of two reservoirs, Bradt Reservoir and Schlegel Reservoir, and approximately 38 miles of transmission main with turnouts (supply connections) at approximately 40 locations to deliver water to six member agencies in south Orange County and three customers in north San Diego County.
The Project:
The Project constructed approximately 2,500 lineal feet of 36-inch cement mortar lined and coated (CML&C) steel water transmission pipe in Crown Valley Parkway, new corrosion protection improvements, and abandoned the 36-inch and 39-inch pipes originally constructed in 1961. The contractor filled the abandoned pipe with lightweight cellular concrete and installed caps on the open ends of the pipe for permanent abandonment. The project included equipment demolition and abandonment of the existing takeout vault in Paseo Del Valle serving the former location of MNWD Master Meter #1.
Construction was completed on July 2, 2025, with a Notice of Completion recorded at the County of Orange on August 18, 2025.
Easements:
The JTM was originally constructed in a 25-foot-wide Easement granted by the Laguna Niguel Corporation and recorded on June 7, 1961 (Instrument No. OR5746-657, Book 5746, Page 657, of the Official Records of the County of Orange). Tract No. 5182, recorded on October 3, 1963, created the currently existing residential subdivision and encumbered nineteen (19) parcels with the Easement. The parcels encumbered by the Easement are generally located in the area between Crown Valley Parkway, Paseo Del Valle and Paseo Del Niguel.
The existing JRWSS facilities within the Easement in Tract No. 5182 have been abandoned in place and staff does not foresee a need to retain the existing Easement to construct new facilities in the future. Moulton Niguel Water District (MNWD) and the City of San Clemente, co-owners with South Coast Water District (SCWD) of the Easement, support quitclaiming the Easement. Several property owners within the subdivision have expressed a desire to have the existing Easement quitclaimed to unencumber their properties.
Properties Proposed for Easement Quitclaim:
Table1 identifies the properties proposed for Easement quitclaim. 3 Table 1
JRWSS Crown Valley Parkway Transmission Main Relocation Project Easement Quitclaim Property List
Property Address Assessor’s Parcel Number
30531 Paseo Del Valle APN 659-031-01
30511 Paseo Del Valle APN 659-031-02
30431 Paseo Del Valle APN 659-031-06
30411 Paseo Del Valle APN 659-031-07
30401 Paseo Del Valle APN 659-031-08
30391 Paseo Del Valle APN 659-031-09
30381 Paseo Del Valle APN 659-031-18
23732 Hillhurst Drive APN 659-031-22
30502 Paseo Del Valle APN 659-032-04
30462 Paseo Del Valle APN 659-032-05
30452 Paseo Del Valle APN 659-032-06
30432 Paseo Del Valle APN 659-032-12
30551 Paseo Del Valle APN 659-042-01
23582 Las Colinas Court APN 659-042-04
30621 Paseo Del Valle APN 659-042-06
30631 Paseo Del Niguel APN 659-043-01
30661 Paseo Del Niguel APN 659-043-02
30671 Paseo Del Niguel APN 659-043-03
30691 Paseo Del Niguel APN 659-043-04
Schedule:
Quitclaim Deeds Approval by Governing Bodies: November-December 2025 Property Owner and Agency Signatures: January 2026
Quitclaim Deeds Recorded: February 2026
FY26 Budget:
The FY26 budget includes $10,000 to execute quitclaim deeds and complete other minor post-construction project closeout tasks.
4 Project Cost Allocation:
Table 2 provides the estimated project cost allocation for each JRWSS member agency and San Diego customer using the JTM Unit 3 Reach 5 cost allocation.
Table 2
JRWSS Crown Valley Parkway Transmission Main Relocation Project Member Agency and San Diego County Customer
Easement Quitclaim Cost Allocation
Member Agency and Customer JTM U3R5
Cost Allocation Cost ($)
Moulton Niguel Water District 40.61% $4,061
South Coast Water District 16.09% $1,609
City of San Clemente 37.51% $3,751
Camp Pendleton 0.51% $51
State Parks 0.20% $20
SCE (SONGS) 5.08% $508
Totals 100.00% $10,000
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A – Proposed Easement Quitclaim Deeds
PRIOR RELEVANT BOARD ACTION
Board of Directors Regular Meeting on August 14, 2025: In its capacity as the Designated Operator on behalf of the JRWSS, the SCWD Board of Directors, by 5-0 vote, authorized the General Manager to execute the filing of a Notice of Completion and Release of Retention Fund for the JRWSS Crown Valley Parkway Transmission Main Relocation Project.