HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999-03-15 City Council (13)City of Palo Alto
Manager’s Report
TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT:UTILITIES
DATE:MARCH 15, 1999 CMR:168:99
SUBJECT:APPROVAL OF THE CITY’S UTILITY STANDARDS FOR WATER,
GAS AND WASTEWATER, SECOND EDITION 1999
REPORT IN BRIEF
This report requests that Council adopt the City’s Utility Standards for Water, Gas and
Wastewater, Second Edition, 1999 which will replace the 1992 edition of these standards.
CMR:168:99 Page 1 of 4
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that Council:
Adopt the Utility Standards for Water, Gas and Wastewater, Second Edition,
1999, and
Authorize the Director of Utilities to make such additional revisions, changes
or modifications to the Utility Standards for Water, Gas and Wastewater,
Second Edition, 1999 as he/she shall deem reasonable or necessary.
BACKGROUND
The City’s Utility Standards for Water Gas and Wastewater, 1992 (USWGW 1992) regulate
construction of water, gas, and wastewater collection system facilities (WGW), so that
improvements to these systems are safe, uniform and maintainable. USWGW 1992 contain
general conditions and guidelines for implementing WGW capital improvement and private
development projects within the City. The general conditions incorporate the City’s
ordinances applicable to construction, specify conditions to control the contractor’s work and
provide requirements for administering construction. The WGW technical specifications and
drawings provide standards for making improvements to the City’s water, gas and
wastewater collection systems.
Since Council approval of the USWGW 1992, the document has been supplemented with
revisions resulting from new laws, regulations and construction standards and materials.
Sufficient changes have been made to warrant the issuance of a 1999 second edition, which
formally incorporates these revisions. The changes have been approved by the City
Attorney’s office and reviewed by all affected City departments.
DISCUSSION
The most significant revisions contained in the Utility Standards For Water Gas and
Wastewater, Second Edition, 1999 (USWGW 1999) have been made to the WGW
engineering design criteria. The design criteria for WGW have been expanded to give
developers and their design engineers more detailed information for preparation of their
development plans. The additional design guidance provided in the USWGW 1999 will help
to shorten the plan review and approval process. The USWGW 1999 also contains
additional standard construction details that have been grouped into separate appendices for
WGW. USWGW 1999 will be used to further improve in-house and contract construction
installations, safety methods and procedures.
CMR:16.8:99 Page 2 of 4
The new technical provisions for WGW projects include design criteria, material and
appurtenance specifications, and procedures for construction and testing of installed
pipelines. The WGW engineers developed these standards to design system improvements
with construction materials.that will extend the design life of replaced utilities. Some of
the longer design life materials now being designed into the water system for mains are PVC
(polyvinyl .chloride) and DI (ductile iron). The gas engineering section is using PE
(polyethylene) pipe for distribution mains and services to extend the design life of the gas
system. The wastewater collection system engineers are designing sewer replacements with
PVC, ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) and VCP (vitrified clay pipe) materials to extend
the design life of the collection system.
RESOURCE IMPACT
Sufficient funds for printing USWGW 1999, are available in the Water, Gas, and Wastewater
Engineering operating budgets for FY1998-99.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
This report does not represent any change to existing City policies.
TIME LINE
Staff anticipates printing and distributing new copies of the USWGW, Second Edition, 1999
within 30 days of Council adoption.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
The Utility Standards for Water, Gas and Wastewater, Second Edition, 1999 are exempt from
the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under Section 15061 (b) (3) of the CEQA
Guidelines.
REVISIONS, CHANGES OR MODIFICATIONS
Staff recommends authorizing the Director of Utilities to make revisions, changes or
modifications to the Utility Standards for Water, Gas and Wastewater. The revisions, will
be made when deemed reasonable, necessary and/or expedient to conform to sound
engineering principles and applicable law, and will be coordinated beforehand with the City
Attorney’s office and all affected departments.
CMR:168:99 Page 3 of 4
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A:
Attachment B:
Utility Standards For Water Gas and Wastewater, Second Edition,
1999. Copies of the USWGW 1999 are available for review in the
office of the Director of Utilities.
Resolution
PREPARED BY:Roger W. Cwiak, Engineering Manager
Water-Gas-Wastewater
DEPARTMENT HEAD:
MRIZEK
Director of Utilities
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
~HARRISON
Assistant City Manager
CMR:168:99 Page 4 of 4
RESOLUTION NO.
RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO
ADOPTING THE UTILITY STANDARDS FOR WATER, GAS AND
WASTEWATER, SECOND EDITION,OF THE CITY OF
PALO ALTO
WHEREAS, on December 14, 1992, under Resolution No. 7161,
the Council of the City of Palo Alto adopted the "Utility Standards
for Water, Gas and Wastewater," First Edition 1992, which
encompassed the engineering specifications and administrative
guidelines for all City of Palo Alto water, gas wastewater
projects; and
WHEREAS, over the past eight years, additional changes in
water, gas and wastewater engineering theory and practice have
occurred, and the provisions of the "Utility Standard for Water,
Gas and Wastewater," First Edition 1992, require an updating;
NOW, THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Palo Alto does
hereby RESOLVE as follows:
SECTION i. The Council of the City of Palo Alto does
hereby adopt the "Utility Standards for Water, Gas and Wastewater,"
Second Edition 1999, prepared by or under the direction of the
Director of the Department of Utilities.
SECTION 2. The Council of the City of Palo Alto does
hereby authorize the Director of Utilities to make such additional
revisions, changes or modifications to the "Utility Standards for
Water, Gas and Wastewater," Second Edition 1999, as the Director
shall deem reasonable, necessary or expedient, in accordance with
sound engineering principles and applicable law.
SECTION 3. The Council finds that the "Utility Standards
for Water, Gas and Wastewater" will have no significant effect on
the environment, and, therefore, under Section 15061(b) (3) of the
CEQA Guidelines, no environmental assessment is required.
INTRODUCED AND PASSED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTENTIONS:
ATTEST:APPROVED:
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Senior Asst City Attorney
Mayor
City Manager
Director of Utilities
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