Council awards $4.43 million sewer trunk contract and approves pipe purchase to avoid canal delay

The Los Banos City Council on May 7 awarded a construction contract of $4,432,440 to Rolfe Construction Inc. for the final-mile sewer trunk line replacement and authorized a separate purchase order of $175,269 to procure reinforced concrete pipe needed to build a siphon under the San Luis Canal.

Why it matters: City engineers said the existing sewer trunk line is at capacity and deteriorating; replacing it will increase wastewater conveyance capacity to the treatment plant and reduce the risk of failures. Purchasing the pipe in advance was presented as a time‑and‑cost‑saving step because the Grasslands Water District plans to drop water from the San Luis Canal June 1–July 17, creating a window to complete the siphon and avoid a later, more expensive bypass.

Public Works Director and City Engineer Chuck Burson explained the project and the rationale for buying pipe ahead of construction: “The current line is at capacity and then deteriorating, so we need to replace it and also plan for the future,” he said. About the siphon procurement he told council the advance purchase would let the contractor complete the intersection while the canal is dry and “it'll save us at least a quarter million dollars or more.”

Contract details and approvals: The council approved City Council Resolution No. 6927 awarding the Rolfe Construction contract and a 15% contingency ($664,866) for unforeseen conditions. Later the council approved City Council Resolution No. 6928 authorizing the interim city manager to execute a purchase order with Aggee Construction Corporation in the amount of $175,269 to procure the reinforced concrete pipe that will form the siphon segment of the work. The latter purchase was described in staff reports as necessary to let the contractor complete the crossing during the scheduled canal drawdown.

The city emphasized scheduling constraints: Burson said Grasslands Water District will lower the canal June 1–July 17 and that completing the pipe work during that interval lowers costs. The council approved both measures by voice vote (“Ayes have it”).

Implementation notes: The project will be managed by the Public Works/Engineering division. The contract award includes a contingency fund for unforeseen conditions; staff will return with construction schedules, traffic control plans and updates on required coordination with Grasslands Water District and other permitting entities.