Atkins awarded contract to update Rainbow MWD water and wastewater master plans

The Rainbow Municipal Water District awarded a professional services contract to Atkins to update Rainbow’s water and wastewater master plans.

The contract for $268,879 was awarded on a 3-1 board vote Jan. 27. Helene Brazier, Bob Lucy, and Dennis Sanford voted in favor of the contract. Jack Griffiths voted in opposition. Tory Walker is professionally an engineer and has worked with Atkins in the past, so he recused himself from both the vote and the discussion.

“I think it’s an important project. It will guide activities of the district for at least the next five years,” said Rainbow general manager Tom Kennedy.

Master plans are typically updated every five years, but Rainbow’s most recent master plans were prepared in 2006. “Quite a few things have changed since then,” Kennedy said.

The master plans will serve as the basis for infrastructure decisions and capital fees. The master plans will also allow for a current analysis of capacity fees paid by developers to support the infrastructure the development requires. “That way our current ratepayers don’t end up subsidizing development,” Kennedy said.

The master plans will consider both existing conditions and expected conditions through the year 2030. Potential local water sources, including recycled water and local groundwater supply, will be assessed in the master plans.

“We can try to reduce our demand for imported water,” Kennedy said. “That will help us be able to manage the drought.”

The assessment will also determine whether the district should build its own wastewater reclamation plant or continue to convey wastewater through the Oceanside Outfall.

Rainbow staff, in conjunction with consultant Don MacFarlane, prepared a request for proposals (RFP) and submitted that RFP to engineering firms with expertise in wastewater collection, conveyance, treatment, reclamation, water supply, storage, distribution, and master planning. Atkins and Infrastructure Engineering Corporation responded to the proposals, and after MacFarlane and selected district staff reviewed the proposals Atkins was determined to be the more qualified firm.

Kennedy intends for Rainbow to update the master plans every five years in the future. “We’re going to do these on a regular basis,” he said. “It’s an important project for us.”