Water System Master Plan

The City of Palo Alto Utilities Department (“CPAU”) of the City of Palo Alto is seeking proposals from engineering firms to provide services for a Water System Master Plan. The required services and performance conditions are described in the Scope of Work.

CPAU seeks firms in delivering engineering consulting services for potable water system master planning. This includes engineering assessment and capital improvement program planning for the City’s water distribution storage, water supply, distribution piping network, and potable water facility sites. The overall objective of the Water System Master Plan is to evaluate the existing potable water system on a 20-year time horizon, identify deficiencies, identify needed improvements, and recommend adequate CIP planning for 5, 10, and 20 year projections. The evaluation will include water system capital improvements, system operation, risk & resiliency planning, and hydraulic modeling.

The City of Palo Alto (“City”) owns, operates, and maintains a municipal water distribution system for all potable water services within the City’s jurisdictional boundaries, which began operation in 1896. The City funds a Water Capital Improvement Program, with a current five-year projected $73 million dollar budget, for water projects such as, annual on-going water main replacement, seismic improvements, water service and hydrant replacements, and water system supply improvements. Previous system studies include “Water Wells, Regional Storage, and Distribution System Study Report” and “City of Palo Alto Water System Pipe Replacement Report”, which guides current expenditures for the Water Fund.

CPAU completed the capital improvements recommended in the previous capital planning reports. Past work included rehabilitation of emergency groundwater wells, construction of new wells, construction of a new water storage reservoir, and replacement and rehabilitation of seismically vulnerable water storage facilities and distribution pipelines.

The Water System Master Plan will focus on asset management, energy efficiency, and supply resiliency to guide a proactive capital improvement program for the next 5, 10, and 20 years. This update will recommend useful life, replacement rates, and annual funding levels for future capital projects.

Water System Description

The City’s potable water transmission, distribution, and storage system consists of five water supply connections to the San Francisco Public Utility Commission Hetch-Hetchy Regional Water System (“HHRWS”). The City purchases 100% of the normal water demand from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (“SFPUC”) for an Average Daily Demand (“ADD”) of nine million gallons per day. The water system consists of the following key facilities in nine pressure zones.

• five water supply connections to HHRWS
• seven potable water distribution storage reservoirs and tanks, including
  • a four million gallon concrete lined earthen impoundment
  • a two and a half million gallon below ground reservoir
  • a one and a half million gallon pre-stressed concrete tank
  • a one and a half million gallon welded steel tank
  • a one million gallon reinforced and pre-stressed concrete tank
  • two, one million gallon welded steel tanks
• seven pump stations
• eight groundwater wells
• 231 miles of transmission and distribution main
• and 24,000 services connections

Water Storage Reservoir Description

Two water reservoirs with a total storage capacity of six and a half million gallons provide emergency water storage for the three largest pressure zones. Five of the City’s seven water storage tanks and pump stations are in a nature preserve area south of highway 280 and up to Skyline Boulevard, along Page Mill Road. Pressure regulating valves at pump stations and pressure regulating sites allow water to flow to lower pressure zones in addition to four pressure sub-zones.

Transmission and Distribution Pipe Description

The City’s potable water system consists of 231 miles of transmission and distribution pipelines. The potable water system includes various materials including prestressed concrete cylinder pipe, polyvinyl chloride pipe, high density polyethylene pipe, cast iron pipe, and asbestos cement pipe. Water distribution pipe diameters range from four to 12 inches, and sub-transmission and transmission pipelines range from 14 to 30 inches.