YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) - Grant funding will pick up the nearly $400,000 Spiva Avenue Waterline Replacement Project tab.

Deputy Public Works Director Kevin Bradford said the project is estimated to cost up to $375,000 and is fully funded by a California Department of Water Resources Round 2 of the Prop 1 Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) grant. 

According to the staff report, the project addresses Yuba City Council's strategic goals for improving infrastructure and operating government fiscally responsibly, which notes that the existing water distribution system in Yuba City is aging.

Replacing the Spiva Avenue waterline proposes replacing approximately 485 linear feet of 4-inch cast iron pipe with a larger 6-inch ductile iron pipe, reestablishing all the active water services on Spiva Avenue.

"In some cases, pipelines are beyond their service life, at or near failure, undersized, and/or located in backyard easements," the staff report says; adding a list of priority locations will see ongoing efforts to replace failing and undersized water distribution pipelines.

The 2020 Yuba Water Master Plan report lists said segments actively monitored by maintenance crews, including Spiva Avenue. The master plan details Yuba City's existing service area of 14.9 miles and also provides water to some outside customers. It notes that Yuba currently provides water to about 18,697 residential, commercial, irrigation, industrial, and institutional/governmental service connections.

According to the staff report, Public Works maintenance crews responded to multiple water leaks throughout Yuba by installing repair clamps; however, "the 100-year-old water main on Spiva Avenue, between Clark Avenue and Cooper Avenue, has had numerous repair clamps installed and requires full replacements. 

Bradford said, "This relatively small segment of the water distribution system has had numerous repair clamps installed over the years and is our maintenance team's top priority for replacement."

As a Northern Sacramento Valley (NSV) Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) region stakeholder, Yuba City benefits from grant funding. The city reported in 2020 that the NSV IRWM Board adopted the updated its plan, documenting regional water resource management conditions, needs, and strategies.

"The IRWM program is intended to improve water resource management in our region. This project does so through eliminating water leaks in the city distribution system," Bradford said. "The grant funds allow the City to focus its limited financial resources on other critical projects, such as installing additional groundwater wells at the Water Treatment Plant."

Yuba's Spiva Avenue, Water Main project, was selected to be included in Sutter County's NSV IRWM Proposition 1 Round 2 grant application. In March, Sutter County informed Yuba City it received $375,000 in grant funding with a waiver of any cost share requirements.

Bradford said Yuba City will begin advertising for bids in May.

"Yuba City appreciates Sutter County's efforts in acting as the lead agency for Round 2 of the IRWM program," Bradford said.