The Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency is planning to begin the process of replacing older, more prone-to-break pipelines beginning in October.
The first step in the two-year process will begin next month along Decoro Drive and Blueridge Drive, with construction teams working to replace a 1,500-foot section of a 14-inch diameter PVC pipeline.
In the Valencia service division, there have been a total of 19 mainline breaks of 14-inch and 16-inch diameter PVC pipelines. Half of those have occurred since 2018, and four large mainline breaks happened last year along Decoro Drive between Bidwell Lane and Vista Delgado Drive.
The main breaks cause “significant damage to the roadway, resulting in costly repairs,” SCV Water officials said in a news release on Wednesday.
SCV Water is in charge of 900 miles of pipeline ranging from 4 inches to 102 inches in diameter, with the pipes consisting of a mixture of PVC, steel and ductile iron. However, the PVC pipelines fail due to installation issues, damaged pipe or the long-term effects of high water pressure, the release said.
In addition to setting aside funds for the replacement projects, SCV Water “will be able to complete pipeline repairs and replacement such as this one using our own staff,” said Chief Operating Officer Keith Abercrombie. “Only the paving will need to be contracted out.”
SCV Water has identified several areas to target for PVC pipe replacement during the the next two years:
- Dickason Drive and Smyth Drive.
- Newhall Ranch Road and Bouquet Canyon Road.
- Newhall Ranch Road and Dickason Drive.
- Valencia Marketplace.
