The Fullerton City Council is set to consider awarding a construction contract worth $2,389,800 to Williams Pipeline Contractors, Inc. during its meeting on November 17. This contract will fund the replacement of approximately 1.06 miles of aging cast iron water pipes and 520 feet of sewer pipes in the Ash-Woods neighborhood. The water mains are to be replaced along several streets, including South Woods Avenue, West Maplewood Avenue, West Avenue, West Ash Avenue, West Elm Avenue, West Rosslynn Avenue, and South Richman Avenue. The sewer work will be conducted on West Maplewood Avenue.

According to the staff report, the city received 13 bids on October 26. Williams Pipeline Contractors from Mission Hills submitted the lowest responsible bid at $2,389,800, which is about 10.8% below the consultant engineer’s estimate of $2,680,000. Bids varied significantly, with the highest bid from J.A. Salazar Construction and Supply Corp. at $3,759,020. The next lowest bids were from Dominguez General Engineering Inc. at $2,425,050 and All Cities Engineering, Inc. at $2,450,375. Staff reviewed the lowest bid and deemed it acceptable.

What the Work Includes

According to the contractor’s bid schedule, most of the project cost will go toward new water lines, including about 5,450 linear feet of 8-inch PVC water pipe, totaling $790,250. Other major expenses include:

– 124 new one-inch water service connections: $310,000
– Trench pavement repair over the new water main: $243,600
– About 500 linear feet of 8-inch vitrified clay sewer main: $205,000
– 11 new fire hydrant assemblies: $151,800
– 10 new sewer manholes: $150,000

The contract also covers new valves, the removal of six existing fire hydrants and nine sewer manholes, reconnection of 17 sewer house connections, and limited reconstruction of curb, gutter, and sidewalk.

Funding

The project will be financed using water and sewer utility funds, not the General Fund. Staff is requesting the council to approve two budget transfers for this project:

– $2,180,500 from the Water Fund’s Water Main System Replacement project
– $659,500 from the Sewer Enterprise Fund’s Annual Sewer Replacement Program

Combined with $210,000 already budgeted, the total project budget would amount to $3,050,000. According to the budget data sheet, estimated expenditures include:

– $2,389,800 for the construction contract
– $359,000 for contingencies
– $153,905 for consultant design
– $120,000 for surveying, inspection, testing, and contract administration
– $27,100 for staff design and administration

The staff report indicates that the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Capital Improvement Program budget has sufficient funding for this project. The proposed motion would also authorize the City Manager to execute the contract and allow the Public Works Director to approve change orders within the approved project budget.

Timeline

If the contract is approved, construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in mid-December 2026, with an expected completion date in July 2027. City staff will notify affected residents and businesses before work begins. Note that street resurfacing in the area is not included in this contract; it will occur as a separate project after the pipe work is completed. City staff has determined that the project is categorically exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act. The staff report was submitted by Public Works Director Stephen Bise and prepared by City Engineer David Grantham, Principal Water Engineer Todd Le, and Assistant Engineer Michael Johansen.