May 16 Luncheon Topic
Current OCWD Construction
Projects Benefit the
Orange County
Groundwater Basin
Presenters:
Tom Epperson, P.E.
Senior Project Manager
Tetra Tech, Inc.
Benjamin Smith, P.E.
Engineer
Orange County Water District
Mike Tsoi, P.E.
Project Engineer
Tetra Tech, Inc.
Event is Tomorrow
Space Still Available!
The challenges to management of the OC groundwater basin, the need to ensure replenishment and the desire to capture and store a greater share of the region’s stormwater, have tested the talents and resourcefulness of OCWD for decades. And with each passing year, the demands upon the agency’s ingenuity grow more complex.
Join us this month as a trio of speakers help explain the ongoing efforts to meet these challenges. Our speakers will provide an overview of the technology involved in two major projects currently underway, while they guide us through the complexities inherent in large excavation construction projects.
The Burris Pump Station Project aims to improve the capture and recharge of storm water that otherwise would be lost to the ocean. Originally conceived as part of the Santiago Creek Replenishment Project, the Burris Pump Station came on line in 1989. Four pumps, with a total horsepower capacity of 6,650 hp, capture stormwater from the Santa Ana River to the Santiago Basin for recharge. The Station typically operates in the winter following significant rain events. On average, some 34,000 acre-feet per year are pumped from the River.
Maintenance of the pumps has proved extremely difficult, however, for they were originally constructed on a 30-degree incline. So when the decision was made to install new pumps vertically within a wet well, one of the most vexing concerns was to minimize loss of storm water to the ocean. To accomplish this, the Burris Station had to remain functional for the duration of the construction. And therein lies the tale of the engineering challenge.
In contrast to the Burris Project, the Mid-Basin Injection Project at Santa Ana’s Centennial Park posed a whole new set of concerns. Here, construction of four new wells were proposed to recharge the OC Groundwater Basin with water from the Groundwater Replenishment System. To accomplish this required a whole range of different components: miles of pipeline, multiple wells for monitoring and injection, and construction of below ground vaults to hold submersible pumps and motors for backwash operations.
You’ll want to be at the May 16 luncheon to hear the complete tale of how responsive engineering and innovative construction have worked together to resolve the obstacles posed by these projects.
Make plans now to attend! The challenges within these projects, and the ingenuity needed to resolve these problems, can prove useful in many situations.
OCWA Members with Reservations: $30.00
Non-Members with Reservations: $45.00
OCWA Members without Reservations: $45.00 (at the door)
Non-Members without Reservations: $45.00 (at the door)
Reservations must be made by end-of-day, May 15,
to qualify for the Reservation Rate.
Cancellations received AFTER this date CANNOT be refunded.
About Our Speakers
Tom Epperson, P.E.
Senior Project Manager, Tetra Tech, Inc.
Mr. Tom Epperson is a Senior Project Manager at Tetra Tech, Inc. A registered Civil Engineer in the State of California, he has over 35 years of professional experience in water, wastewater and recycled water engineering. During his career, Tom has designed more than 200 miles of water/recycled water/sewer mains, 36 water/reclaimed water pump stations, 20 well-head facilities, 12 sewer lift stations and 25 water/recycled water storage reservoirs throughout Southern California.
Benjamin Smith, P.E.
Engineer, Orange County Water District
Ben completed both his bachelor and masters degrees in Civil Engineering at California State University, Long Beach. Since joining OCWD in 2010, he has managed a variety of projects including Mid-Basin Injection, La Palma Groundwater Surface Recharge Basin, Green Acres Project on recycled water infrastructure and financial rates, and emergency pipeline repair response. Ben also teaches undergraduate courses at CSULB in the subjects of Fluid Mechanics, Hydraulics, and Hydraulic Design.
Mike Tsoi, P.E.
Project Engineer, Tetra Tech, Inc.
Mr. Mike Tsoi is a registered Civil Engineer in the State of California with over 26 years of professional experience in water, wastewater, and recycled water engineering. His experience includes wells, pump stations, pipelines, flow control facilities, and reservoirs. During his career, Mike has designed more than 15 wells, 20 pump stations, and 300,000 feet of pipeline.
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