Aging sewer lines to be replaced

Alicia Robinson

The Orange County Sanitation District will begin construction in

mid-January on two projects costing more than $2 million to update

sewer operations on the city’s northeast side.

The project includes abandoning two sewer lines on Watson Avenue

between Loren Lane and Dublin Street, construction of a new line to

serve some residents in that area and replacement of a line on Gisler

Avenue.

The work will cost $2,375,000 and should take nine months,

sanitation district project engineer Larry Rein said.

The Watson Avenue lines were built around 1940. Today they are

producing odors and can’t be cleaned because they’re no longer

structurally sound, Rein said.

Newer lines on Baker and Fairview streets built in the 1990s

removed the need for the Watson Avenue lines, but a small new line

will be added to serve some Watson Avenue homes that are connected to

the old lines, he said.

The sanitation district also will build some new sewer lines on

College Avenue to replace an existing Gisler Street line that is made

of a fiberglass-type material called Techite, which has been known to

sometime fail.

“We don’t believe that line is reliable any longer so we’re going

to construct two new force mains,” Rein said.

Orange County Sanitation District spokeswoman Jennifer Cabral said

the Gisler line hasn’t had problems, but the district is taking a

proactive approach by replacing it now.

The force mains and a new gravity sewer line will connect the pump

station at Garlingford Street and College Avenue to existing gravity

sewer lines on Baker Street.

Both projects will be performed by contractor Mike Perlich & Sons

and are expected to begin Jan. 19, Rein said.

The work will take place between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays.

Some detours for College and Watson avenues will be posted but access

to homes on those streets will be maintained.

Costa Mesa Public Services Director Bill Morris said he’s

discussed the work with the district and doesn’t expect traffic

problems during the project.

“I don’t think there will be significant disruption in that area

because there are a number of alternate streets they can take,” he

said. “We’ll try and help [the sanitation district] as much as we can

and disrupt the public as little as possible.”