LA county awards contract for San Pedro tunnel

29 January 2019


US – The Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County awarded a USD 630M construction contract for the Clearwater Project to Dragados USA on January 23. The project involves building a new 7‐mile- (11km-) long, 18ft (5.4m) diameter tunnel to convey treated water from the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant in Carson to existing ocean outfalls at Royal Palms Beach in San Pedro. The tunnel will be excavated by TBM and construction will begin this year with an estimated end in 2026.

"We look forward to working on this important infrastructure project," said Tom Robertson, vice president of Dragados. "Our vast experience in tunnelling through a wide range of geological conditions will be an asset for the Clearwater Project."

The Clearwater Project was approved in 2012 after a multi-year evaluation of the district's main sewer system, which serves more than 5 million people in Los Angeles County. This planning and environmental review effort included more than 500 public meetings to solicit input and identified the need for a new tunnel to ensure the reliability of the Sanitation Districts' system.

"As part of a thorough review of our system, we determined that the existing 60- and 80-year old tunnels are insufficient for our future needs," said Grace Robinson Hyde, the chief engineer and general manager of the sanitation districts. "These tunnels are critical because the majority of our treated water flow must pass through these tunnels. A new tunnel designed to current earthquake standards and sized to handle future peak storm flows will make our system more reliable."

The Sanitation Districts are a regional agency that manages the wastewater needs of more than 5.6 million people in 78 cities and unincorporated county areas. The agency protects public health and the environment by constructing, operating and maintaining a regional system that collects, treats and recycles wastewater from homes and businesses.