Program Management Projects

On-Call Engineering Program Management Services
Client: Montara Water and Sanitary District (MWSD)

For over 10 years, SRT has been providing civil and water resources engineering services under an As-Needed Contract for Montara Water and Sanitary District (MWSD). Serving as an extension of the District’s staff, we have completed well over 50 projects, including: planning documents, feasibility studies, hydraulic modeling, conceptual engineering, pilot studies, detailed design, coordination with regulatory, resource, and government agencies, bidding and construction contract award support, and construction management.

Offering responsive program management for a small yet dynamic utility presents the challenge of requiring versatile and specialized services at a moments notice.

SRT has provided detailed and responsive program management support to MWSD by offering a staff with diverse experience, resulting in cost-effective and specific expertise to meet all utility needs. When necessary, SRT also teams with trusted, specialized consultant partners to meet any client needs that that require additional expertise.

Our transparent approach and history of working seamlessly with the District’s staff has elevated SRT’s ability to respond quickly and efficiently to any as-needed requests made by MWSD or other clients.

Engineering Support Services and Staff Augmentation
Client: San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Water Enterprise, City Distribution Division (SFPUC CDD)

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) City Distribution Division (CDD) maintains and operates all distribution system facilities within the City of San Francisco. In addition, CDD’s Engineering Section is responsible for overseeing and supporting work by the operations crews, conducting detailed hydraulic analyses of the distribution system, coordinating with developers, planning preventative maintenance, and managing CDD assets.

SRT Consultants was retained to provide project management and engineering support services while augmenting CDD’s engineering staff on an on-call basis. The engineering tasks provided by SRT’s staff included: project review and recommendations for water facility relocations, hydraulic analysis services, asset management, cost-estimating, permitting, design reviews, developing project controls, planning and coordination for new services, and engineering services during construction.

Assisting in the management of infrastructure for the entire City of San Francisco’s water distribution systems during a period of rapid new development presents many unique challenges and places strain on the resources. Developing project controls and effectively managing assets requires diligent practice and knowledge of the City’s internal processes from planning to construction phases.
SRT was able to provide value for SFPUC’s CDD by providing a flexible and diverse team of professionals on an as-needed basis to account for the ebbs and flows within SFPUC’s workflow. By staying in tune with our client’s needs, we have consistently provided experienced project management to optimize control and organization while maintaining an optimal amount of support staff to assist with peak work demands.

On-Call Engineering Program Management Services
Client: St. Helena Hospital, St. Helena, CA

St. Helena Hospital (Hospital), a critical care facility located in Napa County, retained SRT Consultants as their on-call water resources consultant. Since 2007, SRT staff has been providing engineering solutions for the Hospital’s aging infrastructure, including: strategic planning, permitting, master plan updates, asset management, condition assessment, capital improvement program development, conceptual engineering, design services for both new and existing infrastructure, risk assessment, regulatory compliance assistance, future demand analysis, water quality support, grant management, and construction management.
Aging infrastructure for a private community water system requires efficient project development and implementation, detailed condition assessment, creative use of funding acquisition, and cost-effective strategies.
Our staff’s expert knowledge of infrastructure assessment and rehabilitation has been critical to developing cost-effective and reliable strategies to mitigate risk at the Hospital. SRT staff has also successfully developed creative strategies to acquire grant funding for the Hospital’s most important infrastructure improvement projects.

Planning and Feasibility Projects

Water Supply Feasibility Study
Client: San Lucas County Water District (SLCWD), County of Monterey, CA

Monterey County retained SRT through a partnership with AMEC/Foster Wheeler to provide a feasibility analysis, preliminary engineering, environmental review, and final design engineering services for the San Lucas Water Supply Project (Project). The Project was developed by the County in order to establish the best alternative for addressing ongoing water quality problems in the District’s groundwater supply and subsequently design and implement the selected alternative.

The feasibility study included the development of water supply alternatives based on potential water supply sources in the SLCWD region. SRT’s scope of services included detailed analysis of several water supply alternatives, focusing on physical, legal, administrative, operational, political, and economic feasibility of each alternative. Additionally, work included early and consistent stakeholder engagement, further defining key design parameters utilized to evaluate the alternatives, a comparison of alternatives, and recommendation of the most feasible alternative.

The local political and regulatory climate of the Salinas Valley imposed complex constraints for finding cost-effective and efficient alternatives.
SRT staff has experience navigating complex political and regulatory issues for projects in the past and understands the resources and costs associated with such conflicts. SRT was able to facilitate interagency engagement along with detailed and exhaustive analysis resulting in creative solutions.

On-Call WaterCAD Hydraulic Modeling, Master Planning, and CIP Development

Client: Stanford University Utilities, Palo Alto, CA

SRT Consultants was retained by Stanford University Utilities to provide an array of services pertaining to WaterCAD Hydraulic Modeling, Water System Master Planning and CIP Development. SRT staff developed, improved, and updated Stanford’s hydraulic models for their domestic and lake water systems, and worked to develop master plans and CIP projects using hydraulic modeling and GIS software. SRT also provided training and continued support for updating and improving the main breaks’ database.
Providing staff augmentation and other as-needed services presents logistical challenges.
SRT Consultants staff was able to work with Stanford Utilities to provide efficient and highly technical services while anticipating and scheduling follow-up assignments and deliverables.

Groundwater Supply Hydraulic Modeling Analysis
Client: San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Water Quality Division (SFPUC)

SRT Consultants, as a subconsultant to Kennedy/Jenks Consultants, was selected to modify the existing SFPUC transmission system hydraulic model to include future groundwater wells and transmission pipelines of planned Local and Regional Groundwater projects. SRT provided modeling support with anticipated groundwater blending/dilution percentages for different City pressure zones based on current operational goals and modeling results.
Performing modeling for SFPUC presents the challenge of working with many pressure zones across a large system with an added complexity of distributed groundwater sources being added to the water system for the first time in its history.
SRT’s extensive expertise providing hydraulic modeling services for a variety of clients as well as our knowledge of California groundwater regulations made us a proficient modeling consultant partner for this project, while adding value by assisting our consultant teams in meeting local business enterprise (LBE) and other small business and diversity goals.

Pipeline Repair and Readiness Improvement Project
Client: San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)

SRT developed the Pipeline Repair Prioritization Plan (Plan) for the SFPUC Water Supply and Treatment Division, which became a guiding document, including an excel-based prioritization calculator and systemized assessment protocols for SFPUC staff to utilize in prioritizing the major water transmission system repairs after a seismic event. The Plan serves to facilitate effective response to seismic-related emergencies and contributes to increased reliability of the regional water system.
The Plan was developed on a limited budget; however, it needed to be comprehensive, user-friendly, and acceptable to numerous SFPUC stakeholders.
SRT addressed the complexity of the proposed tool by leveraging previous staff experience with SFPUC and other agencies, promoting stakeholder involvement and buy-in through carefully planned and executed workshops. This resulted in an efficient and effective dialogue and usable tool development for SFPUC.

As-Needed Design of Storage and Conveyance Infrastructure Design

Client: San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), San Francisco, CA

SRT was retained by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s (SFPUC) City Distribution Division (CDD) to provide as-needed engineering services for the planning and design of new water storage and conveyance infrastructure as part of the redevelopment of Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island in the San Francisco Bay. Services included review of demand calculations and master plan review of the proposed low-pressure drinking water systems and recycled water systems. Services also included staff participation in several planning committees related to sub-division regulation development and streetscapes master planning related to the water distribution system design development.

SRT performed services as staff extension acting on behalf of CDD and in direct communication with SFPUC Wastewater Division, Engineering Management Bureau, Department of Public Works, and other City agencies related to this project.

Working with a large utility across various departments requires a small consultant to be nimble and specialized in order to meet the changing needs of the project.
By working closely and transparently with the District, SRT was able to approach the project holistically with pre-defined specialized staff to extend our reach of service and provide the most value possible.

Alternatives Analysis and Redesign of the Ramona Water System

Client: Western Water Conservation, Anza, CA

SRT was contracted by the Western Water Conservation (WWC) to develop a water supply alternative analysis and final design documents for the Ramona Water System (RWS) Reliability Improvement Project. Funded through Prop. 1, the project assists a rural community outside of Anza, California in Riverside County, with improving the water supply, storage, and distribution system reliability of their existing system. SRT was retained to plan and design the layout of a new water system for RWS to reliably serve existing customers.

A severely debilitated water system that serves a disadvantaged community.
SRT has extensive experience working directly with the State Division of Drinking Water on behalf of disadvantaged small water systems. Understanding the funding and permitting requirements is essential to ensuring efficient progress and viable engineering solutions.

Design and Construction Projects

Harry Tracy Water Treatment Plant Long-Term Improvement Project
Client: San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

SRT was part of the design team for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) Harry Tracy Water Treatment Plant Long Term Improvements Project (HTLTIP), aimed to prepare the HTWTP for a large seismic event. SRT has worked on the design of new filters to add to the existing filter capacity, an emergency disinfection facility, and the associated yard piping to prepare the HTWTP for a large seismic retrofit.
A diverse team consisting of specialists from various consulting firms and SFPUC engineering design staff designed the HTLTIP. Working as part of the team required keen attention to detail and continuous coordination with the other team members.
SRT provided value by proposing a solution of integrating new filters into the existing sedimentation basin that was not being used by SFPUC. This idea allowed the team to locate the filters away from the newly discovered seismic fault lines, saving design and construction costs.

Permitting, Design, and Construction Management of Two Drinking Water Tanks
Client: Montara Water and Sanitary District (MWSD), Montara, CA

At the initiation of the project, all existing Montara Water and Sanitary District (MWSD) water storage tanks were over 35 years old, with the oldest being over 50 years old. The focus of this project was to replace an existing 100,000-gallon concrete tank, built in 1959 by the U.S. Army and showing signs of severe deterioration, and construct a second tank at the site to provide redundancy and emergency storage for the District’s customers. The existing tank also served as a clear well for the pump station boosting water from the tank into the upper pressure zones.

The following two-phase approach was implemented:

Phase 1. Build the first welded steel tank and disconnect the dilapidated concrete tank from the distribution system.
Phase 2. Demolish the concrete tank and build the second welded steel tank in its place.

The main challenges included designing an above-grade welded steel structure in a corrosive coastal environment, working with California Coastal Commission (CCC) as the project is located within a protected coastal zone, and making sure that at no time the District would be left without the clear well and storage volume at the site.
Extensive expertise working within California’s coastal communities and providing regulatory support with the CCC allowed SRT to successfully navigate the CCC permitting process, address biological constraints during design and construction, and design the tanks to meet current Water Works standards. In addition, SRT was instrumental in supporting the District’s staff with scheduling shutdowns and switchovers from the old tank to the newly completed tank without any service interruptions or customer complaints.

Sunset South Inlet Repair and Rehabilitation

Client: San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) City Distribution Division (CDD)

SRT supported the SFPUC City Distribution Division (CDD) in the planning, design, and execution of pipeline repairs and new pipe anchors for their 42-inch-diameter submerged steel inlet pipeline. SRT aided in review of the project need, hydraulic considerations, pipeline repair and anchoring alternatives, and development of an estimated cost and schedule for the preferred alternative.
Project challenges included obtaining consensus from stakeholders on the method of repair and the project management required to deliver the project within an extremely tight schedule and at minimal cost. Technical challenges included coordination of the assessment, design, and construction work with the scheduled shutdown of the Sunset Reservoir, which is an 80-million-gallon underground storage reservoir serving the majority of San Francisco.
SRT’s staff employed its considerable technical expertise and experience working with various stakeholders and building consensus for difficult issues, and applied this expertise to bring all parties together to implement technically sound and cost-effective solutions.

Permitting, Design, and Construction Management of a 0.5-Million – Gallon Potable Concrete Tank
Client: Montara Water and Sanitary District (MWSD), Montara, CA

Montara Water and Sanitary District (MWSD) retained SRT to design a new concrete water storage tank (Alta Vista Tank #2) near an existing above-grade steel tank to add more storage to the system for fire fighting and emergency response. Alta Vista Tank #2 is a pre-stressed partially buried concrete tank, with a capacity of 0.5 MG. The tank was sited at an elevation in close proximity to two of the District’s major water sources and a surface water treatment plant, allowing most water in the system to flow by gravity. The design will ultimately reduce energy costs and increase operational flexibility.
This project presented several challenges, including working with the California Coastal Commission to negotiate the top elevation of the tank and to develop measures to protect biological resources around the site; communicating and coordinating with the neighbors in close proximity, and designing the project for maximum operational flexibility and reliability.
SRT has successfully navigated the CCC permitting process by planning, siting, permitting and designing the 0.5-MG tank to meet the Local Coastal Program requirements and value engineering the original tank design to allow the District to phase the project and reduce immediate capital expenditures.

Surface Water Treatment Plant Design and Implementation
Client: Girl Scouts of Northern California, Pescadero, CA

SRT Consultants was retained to design a cost-efficient surface water treatment plant for the Camp Butano Creek Girl Scout facility, provide as-needed assistance for the system installation, facilitate regulatory compliance, and develop O&M documents. The newly constructed facility included membrane filtration units followed by chlorine disinfection.

SRT services included alternative analysis, detailed design, project management, equipment installation support, regulatory compliance and permitting services, and development of standard operations procedures. The system design and O&M materials developed were developed to meet the requirements of the State Water Resources Control Board for the purposes of a permit amendment.

The project is located in a very sensitive environmental area near Butano Creek, which posed challenges for the design team and the client.
SRT’s experience with surface water treatment plant design, local regulations, and O&M practices were instrumental in facilitating a cost-effective and efficient design. SRT was able to streamline the permitting process and the production of required permit amendment documents through consistent communication with and responsiveness to State regulators.

New Water System Design, Permitting, and Implementation
Client: Redwood Glen Camp and Conference Center, Loma Mar, CA

SRT was contracted by the Redwood Glen Camp & Conference Center, which owns and operates a small water system, to design, permit, and project manage the implementation of a new surface water system. Over the three (3) years of this project, SRT developed a water supply availability study, an alternative analysis report, conceptual engineering documents, and final plans and specifications for the Redwood Glen water system.
Following a consolidation study and groundwater supply exploration, it was determined that Redwood Glen would need to utilize its surface water sources as its main potable water supply. SRT evaluated the condition of the water system, performed a review of the supply alternatives, and developed a proposed design of storage, transmission piping, pumping and treatment facilities, taking into account Redwood Glen’s regulatory restrictions and environmental challenges.

Due to the unique history and circumstances at Redwood Glen, a brand new surface water system needed to be permitted with the CA Division of Drinking Water – a rare and complex endeavor.
SRT worked closely with Redwood Glen staff to design a surface water treatment plant (SWTP) to treat the surface water from two creeks, which included a membrane filtration unit, iron and manganese treatment, and continuous disinfection facilities. SRT designed the new system to utilize as much existing infrastructure as possible, and to incorporate design-build philosophies for the SWTP and other facilities to allow for expedited and low-cost construction. SRT provided construction management support during the implementation stage to assist Redwood Glen in effectively managing on-site contractors. Additionally, SRT led the permitting process of the new community surface water system, which involved continuous negotiations with DDW and County stakeholders throughout the process and included the development of key documents for permitting of a new public water system.
Throughout this project, SRT successfully worked under tight budget constraints and deadlines, ultimately meeting all permitting goals and bringing the new water system through completion. Redwood Glen was awarded the AWWA California-Nevada Section Smaller Utilities Award in March 2019.

Operations and Maintenance Projects

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Development
Client: Alameda County Water District, Alameda, CA

SRT was retained by Alameda County Water District (ACWD) to provide expert standard operating procedure (SOP) development and work process improvement services for its Distribution Maintenance Division (DMD). Needing to retain and standardize institutional knowledge regarding work processes, the District hired SRT based on our portfolio of SOP development and significant distribution system expertise as design and operational staff at other public utilities. SRT developed SOPs that provided information and instructions to field staff for inspection, testing, repair, and replacement of distribution system facilities, as well as detailing maintenance and management practices for the system.
The process of developing SOPs for ACWD presented the challenge of effectively gathering and incorporating previous institutional knowledge without losing effective strategies through the standardization process.
SRT’s staff has extensive O&M expertise with utilities in California, allowing us to build relationships with operations staff and ensure previous effective strategies were retained through standardization of practices.

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Development
Client: City of Palo Alto, Palo Alto, CA

The City of Palo Alto Utilities (CPAU) contracted SRT to develop water distribution system standard operating procedures (SOPs), including new construction and emergency repair procedures. The tasks included interviewing operations staff, recommending and referencing key regulatory considerations, and producing a Manual of Procedures to serve as the primary training tool for the CPAU distribution system staff.
When developing the CPAU SOPs, it was critical to analyze all efficiency, safety, and regulatory considerations, which was challenging given project budget constraints. In addition, it can be challenging to receive feedback from field crews and maintenance supervisors, as their primary responsibility is to repair and maintain the distribution system and often do not have significant time available to review and provide comment on all documents.
SRT staff has significant experience developing SOPs and managing operations for utilities in complex situations, which has helped us to work with operations staff in an effective and time-efficient manner. Moreover, we understand the need for operational manuals to be easy to use and specific to the water system and have crafted our SOPs to be simple in directing the operational tasks while comprehensive in approach and content.

Operational Support for the Bay Area Regional Desalination Project
Client: CCWD, EBMUD, SFPUC, SCVWD  (managed by EBMUD)

A Regional Brackish Water Desalination Project was a joint effort between Contra Costa Water District (CCWD), East Bay Municipal Utilities District (EBMUD), San Francisco Public Utilities District (SFPUC) and Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD). Project engineering was performed by MWH Global Inc. and SRT served as a subconsultant, providing daily on-site engineering and operational assistance for the Project’s desalination pilot facility. Duties included assistance with the development of the pilot testing plan, pilot plant operation, troubleshooting, instrument and equipment calibration, water quality monitoring and sampling, servicing and installation, and coordination with MWH engineers, various agencies, and vendors.
SRT worked as part of a large team of other consultants, vendors, and staff, presenting a significant challenge in effective communication. In addition, there were daily technical and operational challenges in running these pilot facilities that were posed to SRT and MWH.
By maintaining communications and adhering to protocols, these challenges were addressed and the test successfully completed.

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Development
Client: Port of Oakland, Oakland, CA

SRT was retained by the Port of Oakland to develop new standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the operation and maintenance of their water distribution facilities at the Oakland Airport, including the water cabinets feeding potable water to the aircrafts. SRT’s staff worked closely with the Airport’s engineering and operations staff to develop procedures that met all FAA and USEPA requirements for potable water at a federal airport facility.
Developing procedures for an airport facility required the incorporation of a unique set of USEPA and FAA standards in addition to meeting State drinking water regulations.
Working closely with the Airport’s staff, SRT was able to identify the unique complications associated with airport procedures and successfully incorporate these regulatory requirements into the SOPs.

Water Quality Studies and Analysis Projects

Surface Water Hypolimnetic Oxygenation Feasibility Study
Client: City of Napa, Napa, CA

SRT was contracted to evaluate alternatives for taste and odor (T&O) control and feasibility of hypolimnetic oxygenation for a surface water source in the City of Napa. SRT approached this imminent need by first reviewing historical water quality data, then conducting a site visit to identify site constraints that may impact the cost and effectiveness of implementing a hypolimnetic oxygenation system. Potential environmental issues were identified, and SRT developed and analyzed feasible alternatives based on project feasibility, efficiency, opinion of construction cost, and potential environmental impacts. Once the recommended alternative was established, SRT performed conceptual design for the preferred option, including next steps for implementation.
The reservoir experiencing T&O issues is a shallow water body, presenting a significant technical challenge for implementing most hypolimnetic oxygenation technologies.
SRT staff had substantial hands-on knowledge of T&O issues in reservoirs and hypolimnetic oxygenation technologies, and was able to save the City of Napa significant budget in discounting several of the technologies that would have been unsuccessful in a shallow water body.

Water Quality Evaluations for Private Clients
Client: Confidential

SRT Consultants has been retained by multiple confidential private clients in response to urgent and/or preventative water quality issues that arise at their facilities. SRT has provided the following services in response to the needs of our private clients: water quality treatment evaluations, including analysis of treatment strategies, facility inspections, development of water quality procedures, and demonstration testing.
Many of our private clients require immediate responsive action to their water quality issues for health and safety purposes. These clients also often require that their information remain confidential.
SRT Consultants takes pride in our responsiveness, especially in situations that involve public health and safety concerns. We have been able to provide immediate and thorough assistance to our private clients, helping them to provide safe and reliable drinking water to the populations they serve.

Arsenic Pilot Study and Small System Regulatory Compliance
Client: Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), CA

SRT has assessed over 25 small water systems for PG&E and assisted them in achieving compliance through identifying deficiencies in the water systems and recommending improvements to their facilities. In some cases, SRT has been contracted by PG&E to assist with pilot testing and/or implementation of recommended improvements. SRT was directed by PG&E to oversee an arsenic treatment pilot testing at a remote facility, which included recommendations for bid invitations to Vendors.
Water quality issues and project constraints vary at each of the small remote water systems, requiring expert knowledge of treatment technologies, water quality issues, and compliance considerations.
SRT’s dedicated professionals are committed to resolving our clients water quality issues and utilize our specialized small water system expertise to develop creative, effective solutions with lasting value.