AKM prepared plans, specifications, and estimates for the drilling and equipping of the well.  The 3,500 gpm domestic water well is located in a residential neighborhood at Poinsettia Avenue and Avocado Street, adjacent to Nieblas Park.  Geoscience served as a hydrogeology sub-consultant to AKM during drilling phase and performed onsite inspection during the drilling and well construction phase.  Following completion of the drilling in 2010, AKM provided construction management and inspection services during the equipping of the well including preparation of a contractor prequalification package, review of prequalification responses, bid support, constructability review during the 90% design phase, continuous inspection, responding to RFI’s, attending bi-weekly construction progress review meetings, reviewing shop drawings/submittals, reviewing progress payment requests and quantities, responding to change order requests and claims, overseeing the startup of the well facility, completion of the O&M Manuals, and as-built drawings.  

The well consists of a 20-inch diameter stainless steel louvered casing and is 1000 feet deep.  A 500 HP, 4-stage well pump rated at 3,500 gpm and 400 feet TDH is used to pump the water through a new 3,000 LF, 16-inch CML&C steel watermain designed as part of the project in Gardenia Avenue and Bushard Street, to a connection with the City’s existing distribution system in Warner Avenue.  A 100 lb/day on-site sodium hypochlorite generation system (OSHGS) is used for disinfection.  A fluoridation system is used to add fluoride to the City’s water system.  The project also included a subsurface cast-in-place settling basin, fusion bonded epoxy lined and coated steel discharge piping with appurtenant valves, CLA-VAL pump control valve, (2) ABB magnetic flow meters and a sand separator.  The electrical components of the well building include a 1,000 amp switchboard, including a 500 hp variable frequency drive (VFD) with a solid state bypass starter.  Also installed are the well pump control panel and RTU.  The well equipment is enclosed in a 1585 square foot building, which includes sound panels on the walls of the pump room.  The exterior of the building was designed to blend in with the surrounding residential homes.

Following the construction of the well but prior to the equipping, AKM provided design, construction management and inspection services for a 16-inch cement mortar lined and coated welded steel discharge pipe (3,000 LF) from the new Well No. 9 to a connection with the existing distribution system in Warner Avenue.  Permits from the County of Orange and Caltrans were obtained by AKM as part of the project. The work included a crossing of the Ocean View Channel, complete repaving of the three southbound lanes of Bushard Street, repaving of Gardenia Avenue, curb and gutter replacement, sidewalk replacement, traffic restriping, traffic control, coordination of phasing of the traffic signal timing between the Contractor and the City Traffic Division, coordinating and witnessing the hydrostatic testing of the main, coordinating and inspecting the chlorination/disinfection of the main, and flushing. Careful inspection of the traffic control measures employed was paramount to the success of the work in the intersection of Warner and Bushard and thus traffic issues were avoided.  The work also required close coordination with Caltrans for work near a northbound ramp to I-405 Freeway and Orange County Flood Control District for the crossing of the Ocean View channel.

AKM partnered with the City of Fountain Valley through all three (3) phases of overall project.  The well drilling, transmission pipeline and well equipping were performed under three (3) separate contracts with three (3) separate contractors.