Water Main Replacement Project – Barton Street, Rancho Verde Circle, Rancho Viejo Drive, Saddle Crest Place, and Rawhide Lane, Specification W-311B.
Summary
SCH Number
2024080771
Public Agency
Western Municipal Water District
Document Title
Water Main Replacement Project – Barton Street, Rancho Verde Circle, Rancho Viejo Drive, Saddle Crest Place, and Rawhide Lane, Specification W-311B.
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
8/20/2024
Document Description
The proposed Water Main Replacement Project (project) involves the abandonment of existing water distribution lines and replacement with new water distribution lines within the public right of way. The existing aged steel water lines are experiencing corrosion and leaks, thus decreasing their reliability. The steel lines would be replaced with new PVC water lines to increase reliability and reduce the number of emergency repairs experienced in the area. Additionally, the project would standardize pipe diameters across all three locations to ensure compliance with current (2011) design criteria for water mains within Western Municipal Water District (WMWD) jurisdiction, pursuant to the minimum requirements set forth in Section 2.03 of the WMWD Developer Handbook. The project is located within both the City of Riverside and Unincorporated Riverside County at three locations: 1) Barton Street; 2) Rancho Viejo Drive/Rancho Verde Circle/Saddle Crest Place; and 3) Rawhide Lane.
Location 1 is located within the City of Riverside along Barton Street, of north-south orientation, between Sweetbay Road and Van Buren Boulevard. An existing 12-inch steel water line main along Barton Street would be abandoned and replaced with a new 12-inch PVC water line (1,360 linear feet) in parallel with the abandoned line.
Location 2 is within Unincorporated Riverside County, along Rancho Viejo Drive, of north-south orientation, concluding at its intersection with Via Rancho to the south. This location is also inclusive of Rancho Verde Circle, of east-west orientation, a cul-de-sac stemming from the northern end of Rancho Viejo Drive. The work at this location also includes Saddleback Lane, another cul-de-sac intersecting Rancho Viejo Drive at the southern portion of the site boundary. At Location 2, three existing 8-inch water main lines will be abandoned and replaced with a new 8-inch main constructed of PVC at Rancho Viejo Drive (2,533 linear feet), Saddleback Lane (615 linear feet), and Rancho Verde Circle (355 linear feet).
Location 3 is located within Unincorporated Riverside County along Rawhide Lane, between Mockingbird Canyon Road and Wood Lane. At Location 3, an existing 6-inch steel water main line would be abandoned and replaced with a new 8-inch water main line constructed of PVC (1,925 linear feet).
Contact Information
Name
Doug McCartney
Agency Name
Western Municipal Water District
Job Title
Senior Engineer
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency / Project Applicant
Phone
Email
Location
Counties
Riverside
Regions
Southern California
Cross Streets
(1) Barton Street, between Sweetbay Road and Van Buren Boulevard
Zip
92518
Township
T03S
Range
R04W
Section
21
Other Information
There are two other locations: (2) Rancho Viejo Drive, concluding at its intersection with Rancho Escondido to the south. This location is also inclusive of Rancho Verde Circle, which bisects Rancho Viejo Drive to the north, and Saddle Crest Place, joining Rancho Viejo Drive from the south: Section 23, T03S R05W; and (3) Rawhide Lane, between Mockingbird Canyon Road and Wood Lane: Section 2, T04S R05W.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 1 (section 15301) and Class 2 (section 15302)
Reasons for Exemption
Class 1 Existing Facilities Categorical Exemptions consist of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use. The key consideration is whether the project involves negligible or no expansion of use.
Class 2 Replacement or Reconstruction Categorical Exemptions consists of the replacement of reconstruction of existing structures and facilities where the new structure will be located on the same site as the structure replaced and will have substantially the same purpose and capacity as the structure replaced.
The project consists of the abandonment and replacement of existing Western Municipal Water District (WMWD) water line infrastructure located with the public right of way. The existing steel water lines are aged and becoming increasingly unreliable as corrosion and leak incidents become more prevalent. Replacing the existing steel lines with PVC lines would increase reliability and reduce the number of emergency repairs needed in the future. Additionally, replacing the existing pipes would ensure compliance with the current minimum water pipeline nominal diameter requirements set forth by Section 2.03 of the WMWD Developer Handbook.
The project would not impact a uniquely sensitive environment, nor is the project anticipated to have significant environmental cumulative effects. No expansion of use would occur as a result of the minor alterations to pipe material and diameter. Thus, the project qualifies for a Class 1 Existing Facilities Categorical Exemption.
Further, the replacement PVC pipes would serve the same purpose as the existing steel infrastructure, and the existing service capacity would remain constant with project implementation. While the existing 6-inch pipes at Location 3 is being upsized to 8-inch pipes, this is a negligible upgrade, made solely to satisfy current WMWD design standards. Therefore, the project also qualifies for a Class 2 Replacement or Reconstruction Categorical Exemption pursuant State CEQA Guidelines § 15301 and § 15302.
County Clerk
Riverside
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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