DRC Specialties
• Civil Engineering Studies and Design Services
• Utility Relocation Engineering
• Environmental Services
• Water Treatment Process Engineering
• Construction Management Services
• Project Stakeholder Coordination
D
R Consultants & Designers, Inc.
Founded in 1983 | Water / Wastewater Practice since 1983
WATER / WASTEWATER RECLAMATION
Since 1983, D R Consultants & Designers, Inc. (DRC) has been a Los Angeles- based multi- disciplined, award-winning infrastructure engineering and environmental consulting firm. DRC has completed more than 300 water and wastewater reclamation-related projects for many municipal and county clients. The experience of our senior staff encompasses over five decades of project work, nationally and internationally, advising, planning, investigating, and implementing systems for water supply and conveyance, wastewater treatment and recycling, process selection, watershed and stormwater management, desalination projects, and groundwater
At municipal and industrial treatment plants, DRC’s experts have resolved a wide range of problems and applied cutting-edge water technologies to develop the most technically feasible and cost-effective solutions for water/wastewater reuse, distribution, and treatment. DRC has performed water/wastewater design and engineering for City and County of Los Angeles for over 30 years, performed dozens of water-related projects for LADWP, Metropolitan Water District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/Los Angeles District, and similar work for the City and County of San Diego.
DRC’s Program Management/Construction Management staff implements a seamless transition from design to construction documentation. They review plans and
blueprints with design teams to correct errors and resolve ambiguities, advise on material costs, establish project timetables, hire subcontractors, prepare work schedules, secure permits, maintain quality control, and guarantee that work is up to code. This includes performing or supervising constructability reviews, risk assessments, cost control, change orders, claims, and all project close-out procedures. DRC has performed PM/CM work on water/wastewater projects for the Los Angeles Department of Public Works, San Diego County Water Authority, and the Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District.
METRO awarded DRC a Highway Programs Planning and Deliverables Prime Contract for design and engineering.
SUPPORTING ALL PHASES OF WATER / WASTEWATER PROJECTS
DRC supports its clients in each phase of a water/wastewater project:
• Planning involves DRC’s technical evaluation team during a project’s initial development phase to provide sound technical direction and ensure delivering the project with the highest quality and maximum value.
• Design and engineering fulfills DRC’s complete project understanding and thoughtful approach, consistently producing clear, concise work plans that result in our low percentage of change orders.
• Construction management generates comprehensive and welldefined bid documents for contractors’ competitive bids. Our on-site engineers quickly resolve RFIs, saving time and money.
• Project management involves our clients in developing a Project Management Plan, project controls, and scheduled milestones, which consistently deliver projects that exceed our clients’ expectations.
• Program management encompasses DRC’s extensive experience managing multi-firm teams, in which roles and responsibilities are defined clearly, communication is provided continuously, and effort is never duplicated.
DRC has been contracted as prime consultant, including six (6) five-year on-call engineering services contracts since 1986 to support four (4) water/wastewater treatment plants and collection systems for the City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Engineering and Bureau of Sanitation.
We also are a vital sub-consultant to nearly all of the nation’s largest, southern California-based, engineering firms and other large firms.
Our Operating Philosophy
• Develop responsive, costeffective solutions
• Deliver added value to every client
• Maintain the highest levels of quality and integrity
Our Approach
• Multidisciplinary project teams
• Integrated solutions
• Sustainable design
• Partnering Services Offered
• Planning & Programming
• Design
• Program Management
• Construction Management
• Commissioning
• Operations and Maintenance
• Water Resources
DRC Key Contacts
• Wanda Martinez
Chief Executive Officer
P: 213.687.0372 wanda@drcdinc.com
• Robert Babbitt
Practice Lead
P: 213-321-6144 rbabbitt@drcdinc.com
• Joseph Reichenberger, PE, BCEE, F.ASCE
Senior Project Manager
P: 626.437.2571 jreichenberger@drcdinc. com
• Dennis Kasper, PhD, PE
Project/Program Manager
P: 626.536.4423 dkasper@drcdinc.com
• Madhu Bhatt, PE
Senior Project Manager
P:213.222.3680 mbhatt@drcdinc.com
• Michael Grossman
Business Development
P: 213.235.0930 mgrossman@drcdinc.com
SCOPE OF WATER/WASTEWATER RECLAMATION –BROAD AND DEEP
DRC’s service offerings extend to a sub-set of several markets serving local, state, and federal agencies; municipal and county government; and the U.S. military. DRC support for all project phases also includes permitting, operations, and maintenance.
In Water/Wastewater Reclamation, DRC supports: TREATMENT:
• Headworks, including influent screening, grit removal, and pumping
• Primary clarification
• Full secondary treatment
• Land discharge systems
• Bio-solids management, including aerobic and anaerobic digestion
• Bio-solids pumping, thickening, digestion, dewatering, and beneficial reuse
• Digester gas reuse
• O & M development
• Maintaining plant operations
WATER RESOURCES:
• Water quality assessments
• Source water protection
• Developing designated uses and quality standards
• Stormwater management/Best Management Practices (BMPs)
• Erosion control
• Wetlands design
• Stream channel restoration
• Dam stabilization and removal
• Habitat and ecosystem restoration
• Regulatory compliance and support
FLOOD CONTROL:
• Flood damage prevention
• Flood control, drainage master plans, and facilities
• Flood emergencies and damage evaluations
• Drainage facility design
• Stream bank protection
• Aquifer storage and recovery
• Erosion control measures
• Environmental restoration
• Recreation facilities
• Land use planning
• Surface water intake development
• Automation and SCADA
• Grants and loans
“Wanda Martinez and her firm DRC has provided high quality professional services for the [city’s] Capital Improvements Projects for over 20 years.”
Commissioner Cynthia Ruiz , Department of Public Works, City of Los Angeles Wastewater Design Contract (ten years)
Our Operating Philosophy
• Develop responsive, costeffective solutions
• Deliver added value to every client
• Maintain the highest levels of quality and integrity
Our Approach
• Multidisciplinary project teams
• Integrated solutions
• Sustainable design
• Partnering Services Offered
• Distribution, including pipelines and pump stations
• Water storage, replacement, and reuse
“[DRC] was a significant asset to the City, managing the design, construction, start-up, and training both City staff at Sanitation and Engineering on a new technology for City air treatment facilities.”
Cyrous Gilani, PE Senior Civil Engineer Asst. Division Manager LASAN
• Planning & Programming
• Design
• Program Management
• Construction Management
• Commissioning
• Operations and Maintenance
• Water Resources
DRC’s key personnel have earned a reputation for excellence from the quality of their work and from the professional relationships they establish with clients. Their outstanding project performance is due to careful attention to organization, excellent communication, advance planning, sound science, best management practices, and ensuring project progress.
This is why DRC’s on-time and on-budget performance record is 100 percent! Our diversified staff of licensed professional engineers, scientists, technicians, and support personnel deliver expertise in heavy civil engineering, flood control, water resource planning, instrumentation and process control design, mechanical and electrical engineering, environmental engineering and compliance, utility surveying, quality control and quality assurance, and public outreach.
CLIENTS
DRC has performed multi-year and multi-state engineering and environmental contracts for a wide range of clients.
Federal:
• US Army Corps of Engineers: Los Angeles and Sacramento Districts
• Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation
R egional:
• Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
• San Diego Metropolitan Wastewater District
• Pima County, AZ
• Coconino County, AZ
Local:
• City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Engineering: Environmental Engineering Division (EED) and Geotechnical Engineering Division
• City of Los Angeles, Department of Water and Power
• City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Sanitation (BOS)
• City of La Mirada, Department of Water and Power
• City of Lancaster, Department of Water and Power
• City of Glendale
• City of San Diego, Wastewater Program
• County of Santa Barbara, Department of Public Works
PROJECT REFERENCES
Mr. Ethan Wong, PE Division Director, Environmental Engineering Division, 310-648-6120 CITY OF LOS ANGELES – 12000 Vista del Mar, Playa del Rey, CA 90293
DRC Prime Consultant for On-Call Wastewater and Environmental Engineering Consultants List for Various Public Works Projects
“I commend you for the excellent work…. Your focus on client satisfaction and timely, fairly priced work has made DRC a sought- after company within the Corps.”
Harland Kroll, Resident Engineer, Los Angeles Dist. Army Corps of Engineers
Mr. Varouj Abkian, PE
“I admire [DRC’s] consistent dedication and commitment to excellence.”
Walter Hansen, Sr VP, AECOM Technologies Corp., regarding work at the LASAN Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Facility
Deputy Director, Engineering Services, Bureau of Sanitation, 818-621-0552, CITY OF LOS ANGELES - 1149 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90015
DRC for Design and Engineering of all four City of Los Angeles water and wastewater treatment facilities including the $350-million Hyperion Full Secondary Upgrade Project, the Solids Technology Resource Recovery Project (STRR), and the Digester Expansion Project.
Mr. Sam Alavi, PE
Project Manager, SN-90, Bureau of Sanitation, 661-714-9393
CITY OF LOS ANGELES - 1149 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90015
DRC for the $88-million Los Angeles Wastewater Integrated Network Systems (LAWINS) project at the Terminal Island Wastewater Treatment Plant, Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant, and Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant.
Mr. Kurt Arend, PE
Deputy Chief Harbor Engineer, PORT OF LOS ANGELES - 425 S. Palos Verdes Street, San Pedro, CA 90731 DRC Prime Consultant for Project Management, Civil Engineering, stormwater, and drainage. Two years (2009-2011), $1 million.
Mr. Ali Poosti PE
Division Manager, 818-281-2670 CITY OF LOS ANGELES, BUREAU OF SANITATION - 2714 Media Center Drive Los Angeles, California 90065
“DRC’s participation has greatly enhanced the ability of Parsons ES to serve the client in many capacities. DRC has a proven and successful track record for 100% on-time delivery and performance within budget.”
Shala Craig, Ph.D., Parsons Engineering Science, referring to work for MTA Environmental, Engineering, and Compliance
DRC Prime Consultant for LAWINS, SN-90, program operational and maintenance support during control systems startup and commissioning. Eighteen months (2018-2019), $10.5 million.
Ms. Katie Doherty, PE, ENV SP
“DRC’s partnership and leadership were instrumental in completion of LAWINS, and as a result the entire wastewater program has the most advanced Control system.”
Ali Poosti, PE, Division Manager, LASAN
Design Manager, Environmental Engineering Division, 310648-6239 12000 Vista del Mar, Playa del Rey, CA 90293
CITY OF LOS ANGELES, BUREAU OF ENGINEERING. DRC design and construction support on the DC Tillman Water Reclamation plant’s Blower Foul
WATER AND WASTEWATER RECLAMATION PROJECTS
D R Consultants & Designers, Inc.
West Basin Municipal Water District On-Call
Engineering Services
El Segundo, CA
CLIENT: WEST BASIN MWD DRC Services Provided
• Water Quality Evaluations
DRC has signed an on-call engineering services contract with West Basin MWD to provide various technical and feasibility studies and support services to plan and implement projects resulting from the recent Recycled Water Master Plan and Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). This includes water quality evaluations, optimization studies related to treatment processes and distribution, feasibility studies for new and alternative treatment systems, assessing ancillary systems, equipment and treatment process evaluations, condition assessment, Groundwater Augmentation Study, Emergency Response Plan, and Rate Study.
• Optimization Studies for Treatment & Distribution
• Pipeline & Treatment Facility Design
• Equipment Evaluations
• Easements & Right-of-Way
• Permits
• Geotechnical Investigations
Project Value
$3M
Wastewater Program O&M
Control Systems Start-Up and Commissioning
In June 2018, DRC was awarded Task Order SN-90 to provide expert start-up and commissioning support for the Los Angeles Wastewater Integrated Network Systems (LAWINS) Distributed Control Systems (DCS). DRC provides highly qualified wastewater treatment plant operators, electricians, and instrument technicians who support LASAN and its designated Project Management Team that oversees the LAWINS contract. DRC worked at all five segments of LAWINS: Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant, Terminal Island WTP, D.C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant, Los Angeles/Glendale Water Reclamation Plant and Collection System.
Services included but were not limited to:
• Support commissioning and delivering the DCS system; support control systems commissioning group of LAWINS that works with the City’s O&M groups at the four water reclamation plants and collection systems.
• Support City forces in the field and assist in delivering a large-scale DCS and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA).
• Assist plants’ operation & maintenance in preparation of the system cutover for the upgrade by verifying input/ output signals and equipment performances.
• Support the City’s Program Management team in preparation of system cutovers and start-up
• Provide wastewater treatment operational support in operating wastewater processes during the cutovers when systems are operated manually.
• Provide specific knowledge of BOS/EED wastewater treatment and wastewater operator Grade-5 license.
Los Angeles, CA
DRC Services Provided
• Project Management
• Plant O & M
• Inspection and Testing
• Start-Up & Commissioning
• DCS / SCADA
• Instrumentation
• Electrical Project Value
$8.5M
• Provide specialized plant operators, electricians and instrument technicians to support rising demand for those disciplines during the LAWINS’s cutover activities. Provide as- needed services as requested by LASAN. Reference
Field Verification and System Redesign Using Honeywell
Experion PKS
Wastewater Program O&M – Control Systems
Design and Project Management
The LAWINS project was a significant capital improvement program initiated by the City of Los Angeles. It integrates the city’s entire wastewater control system and conveyance system at all four treatment plants. DRC provided engineering and field verification for the seven-year, $88.6 million Honeywell Control System Replacement Program at three facilities: Terminal Island Water/Wastewater Treatment Plant, Hyperion Water/Wastewater Treatment Plant, and Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant.
The city’s water/wastewater treatment system controls 6,700 miles of sewer lines serving four million residential and commercial customers in Los Angeles and 29 surrounding cities. The program replaced the existing control system with a state-ofthe-art Distributed Control System (DCS). DRC provided instrumentation and control systems engineering, electrical design, and mechanical engineering as well as CAD design services to Honeywell International, the system supplier.
Starting with the Terminal Island Water/Wastewater Treatment Plant, DRC provided process, electrical/instrumentation engineering, QA/QC and Field Verification for the Terminal Island Wastewater Treatment Plant. DRC completed the Terminal Island portion of the LAWINS project in September 2016.
DRC provided project management, process engineering, CAD design, QA/QC for the Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant as a critical portion of LAWINS. Hyperion was completed in March 2017.
DRC provided project management, field verification, CAD design, QA/QC for the D.C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant, which was completed in 2018.
Los Angeles, CA
CLIENT: LA BUREAU OF SANITATION
DRC Services Provided
• Project Management
• QA/QC
• Process Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Instrumentation and Controls
Project Value
$88.6M
Reference
Honeywell International Lori Lee, PE Program Manager (949) 212-8923
Metropolitan Water District
Demonstration Facility at County of LA Sanitation Wastewater Treatment Plant
Facility Operation & Maintenance
DRC is operating and maintaining equipment and collecting samples at the Regional Recycled Water Advanced Purification Center, a 500,000 gpd demonstration facility that is testing an innovative water purification process for potential groundwater replenishment. Cleaned wastewater from the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts’ (LACSD) Joint Water Pollution Control Plant (JWPCP) in Carson is sent to the Center, where it is purified further using a unique application of membrane bioreactors followed by reverse osmosis and an ultraviolet light/advanced oxidation process. Scientists and engineers are testing this advanced purification process to demonstrate that its purified water meets all health and water quality requirements and is safe to replenish groundwater basins used as a drinking water supply.
Facility
Reference
Jon D. Ganz, P.E., Sr. Project Manager CDM Smith (prime) (213) 457-2142
Control Systems Optimization
Project and Construction Management Los
DRC modified control system software narratives according to Change Orders, Maintenance Change Requests, and Engineering Communications; provided assistance. All of these projects used electrical and I&C CAD support. Specific design tasks completed included:
• Facility feed power conduit & wiring design
• Power supply layout and design for pump & compressor motors
• Conduit type selection
• Wiring sizing
• Circuit-breaker sizing
• Switchgear layout
• Buried conduit layouts & stub outs
• Overhead wiring support towers
• Electrical Room layouts and design
• Electrical Room equipment spacing
• Electrical room heat load requirements
• Yard & building lighting layout
• Emergency power, generators, and UPS systems
• Fire suppression systems for Electrical and Control Room
• Control Room layouts
• Instrumentation conduits & cable tray layout
• PLC/HMI upgrades, including controls system circuit wiring layouts
• Identifying wiring types for electrical system grounding layouts requirements
DRC Services Provided
• Modified Control Systems Software Narratives
• Electrical
• Instrumentation & Controls
• PLC/HMI Upgrades
• CAD Project Value $444K
Reference
Ali Poosti, P.E.
Division Manager Bureau of Sanitation City of Los Angeles
Wastewater and Water Reclamation Plants
CADD Services
DRC provides computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) support to civil, electrical, mechanical, and structural designers for revamping BOE/EED’s existing units and designing new process units at the city’s four wastewater treatment and water reclamation plants.
Using AutoCAD Civil 3D, Revit platforms, and Building Information Modeling (BIM), DRC’s CADD specialists are supporting designs for:
All phases of piping and piping modifications
Foundations, pipe supports, retaining walls, underground structures, and site drainage
Feeder wire and circuit-breaker sizing, equipment layout, and performing shortcircuit calculations
Brine and fresh water lines, high- and low-pressure effluent lines, site grading, drainage, storm drains, and catch basins
DRC also coordinated and supervised the development of BOE’s new CADD manual to comply with national CADD standards, V6.
Los Angeles, CA
CLIENT: LA BUREAU OF ENGINEERING/EED
DRC Services Provided
• CADD Support for Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, and Structural Designers
• AutoCAD Civil 3D
• Revit Platforms
• BIM
• New BOE CADD Manual
Reference
Ryan Toles Assistant Division Manager Bureau of Engineering, EED City of Los Angeles (310) 648-6224
LABOE CADD Manual
Documentation and Update
DRC was the prime consultant and worked closely with the multiple divisions within the city’s Bureau of Engineering (BOE) to complete the documentation aspect of the latest BOE CADD manual, which was developed to comply with the National CAD Standard V6.
DRC was responsible for project management, technical content, and compatibility with current BOE standards. Working closely with key BOE staff, DRC jointly determined the appropriate document exchange format and method, using time-efficient modern communication tools (e.g., BlueBeam). The new standards have enhanced the uniformity and consistency of design plans produced by LABOE, with measurable benefits of efficiency and accuracy during QA/QC reviews.
Los Angeles, CA
CLIENT: LA BUREAU OF
ENGINEERING
DRC Services Provided
• Project management
• Coordinated with multiple divisions of LABOE
• Technical content
• Time-saving document exchange format and method
• Adapted and incorporated local standards
• Conducted orientation sessions for implementation
• Ensured compliance with National CAD Standard V6
Water/Wastewater Conveyance Engineering Division
Sewer Engineering CADD Support
DRC provides CADD services as a subconsultant to support the City of Los Angeles’s engineering design workforce with designing wastewater facilities that include new sewers, rehabilitating existing sewers, force mains, pumping plants, and odor control facilities. Support involves expertise with AutoCAD, AutoCAD Civil 3D, Building Information Modeling (BIM), and GIS integration.
CADD support for projects with the Environmental Management Group, Real Estate Division, Structural Engineering Division, and other divisions as needed.
Los Angeles, CA
CLIENT: LA BUREAU OF ENGINEERING AECOM (PRIME)
DRC Services Provided
• CADD Support for Wastewater Facilities Design » New and Rehabilitated Sewers
Pumping Plants » Force Mains » Air Treatment Facilities
Reference
Pooja Mahajan Civil Engineer, Water AECOM (864) 650-5956
Air Treatment Facilities
Proprietary Treatment System Design Construction & Start-Up Commissioning
DRC, led by Bob Babbitt, commissioned 13 air treatment scrubbers for the city’s Bureau of Sanitation, working closely with the Bureau of Engineering.
Mr. Babbitt researched the performance of the installed scrubbers, which resulted in the basis for a new proprietary design for three air treatment facilities (ATFs), and then was assigned to the city’s ATF team for design completion. He then transferred to the Installation Oversight and Facility Commissioning Team for the first two ATF projects. This phase of DRC’s assignment included preparing Start-up Procedures, O&M Manuals, and operator-maintenance personnel training. DRC led the start-up and commissioning effort when construction on the third ATF project was completed.
DRC’s next ATF assignment involved the design of an enhanced scrubber system, with additional tasks to oversee construction, commissioning equipment, and training operations- maintenance personnel. This included Start-up Procedures, O&M Manuals, and various Project Management responsibilities.
DRC prepared an operational assessment report and commissioning outline for the city’s DC Tillman plant’s Biotrickling Filters (BTF) equipment. This included recommendations for changes in QA/QC procedures to install filter media. DRC developed the facility start-up procedure, which the city has used for similar project start-ups.
DRC Services Provided
• Proprietary Treatment System Design
• Construction & Start- Up Commissioning
• Prepared O&M Manuals
• Trained O&M Personnel
References
Cyrous Gilani, P.E. (ret.) Assistant Division Manager, Bureau of Sanitation City of Los Angeles (310) 292-6106
Katie Doherty, P.E., ENV SP Design Manager, Bureau of Engineering City of Los Angeles (310) 648-6239
Silver Lake Headworks Reservoir
Pipeline Design and Hydraulics
DRC provided design services for the LADWP Silver Lake Headworks project. The project was placed on “hold” due to soils issues. After the “hold” was lifted, the LADWP took the project “in-house,” requesting contract assistance from DRC to provide an engineer in their offices to complete the project. DRC’s Fang Maw Lee, PhD, PE, was contracted to complete the design of the inlet pipelines, the outlet pipelines, the air vacuum vault, the under-slab drains, the rooftop drains, the discharge pipe to the adjacent river, drainage facilities, and other miscellaneous parts of the project.
During the preliminary design phase, Dr. Lee suggested eliminating the air vacuum vault and realigning several pipelines. Dr. Lee showed the LADWP that those facilities were unnecessary. The LADWP staff evaluated his recommendation and designs and accepted them.
Los Angeles, CA
CLIENT: LADWP
DRC Services Provided
• “In-house”Engineering Support
• Pipeline Realignment
• Pipeline, Air Vacuum, Discharge, and Drainage Design
Reference
Varouj Abakian, P.E. (ret.)
Assistant Director Bureau of Sanitation City of Los Angeles (818) 621-0552
“DRC more than justified their fee with the idea of removing from the design the ‘air gap’ vault. After a careful evaluation of his suggestion, we [concluded] that in fact the airgap vault was not needed. This design change, in my opinion, will save LADWP at least a couple of million dollars in construction and a few more million in operation costs during the life of the project.”
Raul Banuelos Manager
of Major Projects Water Engineering & Technical Services Div. Los Angeles Department
Silver Lake Headworks Reservoir
Design, Project Management, QA/QC, and Various Services
DRC designed and performed the following components of the Silver Lake Headworks Reservoir Project:
• Yard piping
• Drain line, including reservoir floor drains
• Reservoir under drains
• Air Vault and Connections
• Hollingsworth Spillway
• Stationing based upon control from LADWP
• Pipe plan and profiles
• Connection details
• Overflow piping to LA River
• Support overflow permit to LA River from USACE
• QA/QC
Project Controls & Scheduling: Upon request from LADWP, we provided direct support to LADWP office staff to facilitate a rapid completion of this project.
Project Management: Our project management work included coordinating design with other consultants and meetings with LADWP.
Construction: We provided this project construction support and construction management services upon request.
Los Angeles, CA
CLIENT: LADWP
DRC Services Provided
• Research
• Design Yard Piping
• Coordination Meetings
• Project Management
• Hydrology and Hydraulic Planning
• QA/QC
• Cost Estimates
• Construction Support and Management
• LADWP Office Support
Lower Mission Creek Flood Control Project
(Award-Winning Project)
D esign, P lans, and Specification s
This project widened the Lower Mission Creek in the City of Santa Barbara from State Street, near the Santa Barbara pier, to Mason Street, a width of 35 feet to 55 feet. As prime consultant, DRC prepared the design, plans, and specifications for the construction of this first reach with USACE oversight and sponsored locally by the County of Santa Barbara. The project required significant environmental mitigation and constraints on surrounding habitat areas, fish habitat design, permitting, and the oversight of a biologist.
The American Public Works Association’s award cited DRC’s exceptional design and construction effort in which significant environmental compliance issues for endangered species and a wetlands area, within a limited work area adjacent to a hotel and restaurant, required unique construction methods. Fish ledges were designed and constructed within the creek for the goby fish species, a unique drilled pile system was designed and piles installed by the “flightauger” method to reduce noise, and an aesthetic shotcrete wall system was designed and integrated into the pile system. All designs and construction methods met the requirements of a City of Santa Barbara Blue Ribbon Committee.
Final design material consisted of HEC-RAS model hydraulic design confirmation, environmental design confirmation, unique pile/ wall design, levee design, channel design based on USACE criteria, structural calculations, contract drawings, specifications, MII (MCACES) quantity/cost estimate, DrChecks system project reviews, and Engineering Considerations and Instructions for Field Personnel.
DRC resolved all outstanding design issues, including organizing meetings to discuss those issues and documented the agreed upon resolutions that represented a commitment from all parties to the recommended design. DRC prepared and furnished the construction cost estimate and bid schedule.
Santa Barbara, CA
CLIENT: COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA
DRC Services Provided
• Quality Control Plan
• Collecting Utility Data and Design Criteria
• Site Investigation
• Meeting Coordination
• Environmental Mitigation
• Hydraulic Analysis & Calculation
• ECIFP
• Civil & Structural Design
• Specifications
• Bidding Schedule
• Permitting Requirements
• Project Management
• Unique Pile / Wall / Levee Design
• MII Construction Cost Estimates
• Construction Support to the County Public Works
• 2016 APWA Central Coast Chapter Project of the Year
References
Steve Vaughn, P.E. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District (213) 452-3654
Matt Griffin, P.E., County of Santa Barbara, Dept. of Public Works (805) 884-8074
Hansen Dam Recreation Design Project
Grading
and Storm Drain Plans
As Prime Consultant, DRC performed A-E services to support preparing a grading and storm drain plan for the Los Angeles District Corps of Engineers.
DRC’s staff conducted field investigations, prepared final design plans and estimates consisting of Contract Drawings, Specifications, Quantity/Cost Estimates, Engineering Considerations and Instructions to Field Personnel. DRC obtained permits and generated Quality Control Plans (QCP) for the construction of grading for Flood Storage and Sub-Drainage Diversion in accordance with specific engineering criteria.
DRC observed the general progress of work and determined if it was proceeding according to contract documents. His opinions and suggestions in this capacity, as well as his role as liaison with the USACE, Los Angeles District and the Sponsor(s), contributed substantially to keeping this complex and highly visible project on schedule and on budget. He recorded and resolved any deficiencies in the contractors’ work relating to compliance with project drawings, specifications, and design concepts. Pertinent site conditions were observed, recorded, and monitored. Site layouts were confirmed, and off-site drainage was researched with the City of Los Angeles and CALTRANS.
Los Angeles, CA
CLIENT: U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, LA DISTRICT
DRC Services Provided
• Field Investigations
• Design Documentation Reports
• Final Design Plans
• Specifications
• Construction Cost Estimation
• CALTRANS Encroachment Permitting
• Criteria and Standards for Design
• Project coordination
Distributed Control Systems (DCS) for LAWINS
Wastewater Program O&M Support During Control Systems Start-Up and Commissioning
As prime consultants, DRC performed electrical and instrumentation to complete all five segments of the Los Angeles Water/Wastewater Integrated Network Systems (LAWINS): HWRP, TIWRP, DCTWRP, LAGWRP and Collection System (CS). Working at various collection system sites for the commissioning activities of the five LAWINS segments, DRC provided the following services, but not limited to:
• Commissioning and delivering the Distributed Control System (DCS) system;
• Collaborating closely with the City’s Operation and Maintenance groups at four water reclamation plants and collection system;
• Engaging City forces in the field and assisting with delivering a large-scale DCS and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCDA);
• Assisting plants’ operation & maintenance in preparation of the system cutover for the upgrade by verifying input/output signals and equipment performances;
• Coordinating with the City’s Program Management team in preparation of system cutovers and start-up;
• Providing wastewater treatment operational support in operating wastewater processes during the cutovers when systems are operated manually; and
• Providing specialized electricians and instrument technicians to support the hike in demand for those disciplines during the LAWINS cutover activities.
Los Angeles, CA
CLIENT: LA BUREAU OF SANITATION
DRC Services Provided
• Project Management
• Assisting O&M to prepare system cutover and startup
• Electrical Engineering
• Instrumentation and Controls
Project Value
$6M
Reference
Sam Alavi, PE, MSCE Bureau of Sanitation, Wastewater Engineering Services Division City of Los Angeles (310) 648-5733
Hyperion Water/ Wastewater Treatment Plant
Dewatering System Expansion
Dewatering Centrifuge Expansion – Phase I: Before the full-scale expansion of centrifuge facilities, the Dewatering Facility required an increase in sludge flow capacity. To achieve this increase, three high-speed, high-solid 500 gpm dewatering centrifuge were installed.
Phase I Dewatering Interim Centrifuge Expansion (DICE 1): DRC provided design, permitting, construction management, and start-up support for the recommended modifications. The completed facilities were tested for compliance with their Air Quality Management District permit.
Phase II Denaturing Centrifuge Expansion Procurement: With increases anticipated in digested sludge, the existing centrifuge facilities required expansion to meet projected capacity. Procuring centrifuges constituted the second expansion phase. DRC determined that the centrifuges needed to be replaced based on test results and on a cost-effectiveness analysis. DRC prepared the procurement documents, supported the bidding process, performed shop inspection, and administered the procurement contract.
Phase III Dewatering Centrifuge Expansion Facility: The centrifuges procured were installed in an expanded sludge dewatering facility that was constructed on the east side of the facility. The Concept/Pre-design Report outlined the concept for expanding the Dewatering Centrifuge Facilities. DRC provided design, permitting, construction management, and start-up support in connection with the recommended modifications. DRC tested the completed facilities for compliance with conditions of the AQMD permit.
Dewatering Centrifuge Replacement: DRC supported the design, permitting, construction management, and start-up for the recommended modifications of equipment installed in the 1980s and lifecycle ended in the late 1990s.
Los Angeles, CA
CLIENT: LA BUREAU OF SANITATION/EED
DRC Services Provided
• Civil Engineering
• Structural Design & Engineering
• Instrumentation and Process Control Design
• Construction Management
• Cost Estimating
• Start-up Support
• Construction Oversight
Reference
Ethan Wong, P.E. Bureau of Engineering, Environmental Engineering Division City of Los Angeles (310) 648-6120
Griffith Park Fern Dell Drive Facility
Water Distribution System Design
DRC designed and oversaw construction for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to construct an aesthetically pleasing, permanent man-made stream and water feature in Griffith Park. DRC produced a complete design engineering and construction package, including all required construction drawings, details, and equipment lists.
LADWP operates the Fern Dell Drive Facility water feature. The man-made water feature consists of a stream that is lined with cedars, pines, and other flora and fauna. Small waterfalls, pools, and bridges are incorporated into a popular picnic and walking destination for visitors to the historic park.
The Fern Dell Facility water supply is from a municipal water line. The water feature is designed to be a closed system, so that flow will be re-circulated indefinitely. Under the configuration, the stormwater outlet from the system is not available for routine flushing, but only during storm events that exceed the facility’s capacity. The existing storm water bypass channel is being maintained. The system required a pumping station and associated piping network to continuously re-circulate water through the existing creek. The pipeline extends from the pump station at the creek’s downstream to a pond above a playground at the upper end of the facility.
The Fern Dell system has a series of weirs that facilitate the approximate 190- foot elevation drop from top to bottom, which includes a waterfall feature. These features generate enough aeration to prevent dissolved oxygen concentrations. No forms of water treatment in the system existed, but examining the parameters of concern and assessing the available technology to facilitate the requirements of a safe, aesthetically pleasing water feature became necessary.
Los Angeles, CA
CLIENT: LADWP
DRC Services Provided
• Civil Engineering
• Pumping / Piping Design
• Electrical Engineering
• Instrumentation & Control
• Aesthetic Design / Sustainability
• Project Administration
• Construction Drawings
• Construction Details
• Equipment Lists
• Construction Oversight
Hyperion Water/ Wastewater Treatment Plant Solids Handling Facility
Full Secondary Digester Expansion Project
The Hyperion Wastewater Treatment plant processes 380 mgd of wastewater of which 190 mgd receives secondary treatment. The Hyperion Full Secondary program increased the plant’s secondary treatment capacity to 450 mgd. Converting to Full Secondary Treatment achieved a substantial increase in solids production.
The Digester Expansion Project, which included design and construction of 18 primary digesters and two secondary digesters, consisted of the following elements:
• General Layout & Distributed Control System
• Digester Facilities
• Sludge Pump Station & Gardener/Laborer Facility
• MST 11 and 12 Load Center
• Tunnels
• Site-work
• Air Gap Reservoir and Pump House
DRC Services Provided
• Civil Engineering
• Cost Estimating
• Piping Design
• CADD Operation
• Construction Oversight Project Value
$243M
Reference
Ethan Wong, P.E. Bureau of Engineering, Environmental Engineering Division City of Los Angeles (310) 648-6120
Sewer Replacement and Rehabilitation Program
D esign, P lans, and Specification s
DRC, as a subconsultant, supported a four-year, multi-disciplined contract for the City of Los Angeles, Water/Wastewater Capital Improvement Program (WCIP) and a ten-year contract for the Sewer Replacement and Rehabilitation Program. DRC provided wastewater design/engineering and related services for various projects, including, but not limited to, odor control facilities, aeration tank modifications, conveyance and outfall sewer system design, pumping plants, and other wastewater collection and treatment-related facilities owned or planned by the City.
DRC performed project development, conceptual, preliminary and final design services; civil, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, and process control, structural engineering and analysis; CAD design specific to BOE standards, specification preparation, scheduling, cost estimating, permitting, and various aspects of project bid and construction support.
Fully knowledgeable of all city design Standards, Codes, and Procedures, DRC produced design drawings from rough sketches and scanned backgrounds and/ or reference files from work defined in pre-design and cell libraries. DRC staff efficiently coordinated design work with different disciplines and on- and off-site plant personnel.
Engineering support included design, checking, scheduling, prioritizing work, man- hour estimates, material take-offs, specifications, and shop and field construction. We developed design guidelines, standards, and procedures for process and utility plants; interfaced with all levels of management and support personnel on fabrication, installation, and inspection in the piping design and plant construction.
DRC participated in designing and preparing odor control systems, Primary Battery A & B settling tank modifications, Digester Expansion, and the Dewatering Centrifuge Expansion I and II projects.
Los Angeles, CA
CLIENT: LA BUREAU OF ENGINEERING WASTEWATER CONVEYANCE DIVISION
DRC Services Provided
• Project Management
• Planning and Design
• Civil Engineering
• Electrical Design
• Mechanical Design
• Structural Design
• Technical Specifications
• Cost Estimates
• Engineering Support/ Construction
Reference
Kenneth Redd, P.E. Division Engineer Bureau of Engineering, Environmental Engineering Division City of Los Angeles, (310) 648-6174
Hyperion Solids Handling Capital Improvements Program
DRC’s engineering consulting services supported the completion of the energyrelated aspects of the Hyperion Solids Handling Capital Improvements Program as directed by its Program Director. Services included, but were not limited to:
• Providing startup and operations assistance to support the operation of the Sludge Combustion Facility and other solids handling facilities;
• Guiding, directing, and supervising the Solids Technology Resource Recovery Division in establishing test protocols, contract preparation, testing, and any system modifications to meet regulatory requirements for the CIP projects;
• Assisting with coordinating Hyperion laboratory staff activities to perform emissions tests as required; and
• Providing technical guidance, assistance, and supervision in thermodynamics and fluid flow as needed to solve problems related to the CIP projects.
DRC interfaced and coordinated with federal, state, and local governmental representatives and industrial and professional groups as directed by the Program Director. DRC supervised, conducted, and assisted operational research and testing to solve operational problems, improve and optimize system performance, and reduce nuisance impact to surroundings. DRC provided on-site air emission sampling, in conformance with standard Southern California Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) and EPA-approved methods of the FBG flue gas and the GTG exhaust gases at the facility. DRC performed SCAQMD and EPAapproved laboratory analyses for specific compounds.
We calculated the concentration and emission rates of the specified compounds by source. DRC produced all written reports, summarizing and detailing the air emission procedures, in addition to being responsible for start-up and operations assistance to support the operation of the Sludge Combustion Facility and other Solids Handling Facilities.
Los Angeles, CA
DRC Services Provided
• Mechanical Engineering
• Start-up and Operations Assistance
• Regulatory Compliance & Monitoring
• Thermodynamics and fluid flow
• Operational Research and Testing
• Air Emissions Testing
• Construction Management
CLIENT: LA BUREAU OF SANITATION/EED Reference
Ethan Wong, P.E. Bureau of Engineering, Environmental Engineering Division City of Los Angeles (310) 648-6120
Terminal Island Water/ Wastewater Treatment Plant Aeration
Tank Modernization
The City of Los Angeles provides water/wastewater collection and treatment for residents, businesses, and industries located within the City and for 27 contract agencies. The Terminal Island System serves the southern portion of the city. This subsystem has one treatment plant, the Terminal Island Treatment Plant, located in the Los Angeles Harbor area.
This project was developed to improve unit process control and materially enhance the ability of plant operators to control the treatment process and, thereby, comply with effluent discharge requirements.
This project also involved designing and installing sluice gates in the walls separating each tank, replacing the diffusers/piping in the mixed liquid channel, replacing the diffusers/piping in influent channel, replacing foam spray nozzles, insulating air headers, and installing flow meters.
DRC participated in the comprehensive evaluation, preliminary design, plan production, training, and start-up of various aeration tanks. This included relocating underground utilities and designing, upgrading, and installing new and existing equipment.
DRC also provided preliminary design, structural engineering, and other support services to improve the plant’s secondary treatment capacity. The project included installing submersible pumps at the aeration basins, a monorail system to move the pumps between different basins, step feed modifications, 24-inch and 16-inch pipelines, replacing access platforms, pipe supports, equipment supports, and making structural modifications to the existing concrete structures.
Los Angeles, CA
CLIENT: LA BUREAU OF SANITATION/EED
DRC Services Provided
• Civil Engineering
• Structural Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Document Management
• Contract Administration and Coordination
Project Value
$125M
Reference
Ethan Wong, P.E. Bureau of Engineering, Environmental Engineering Division City of Los Angeles (310) 648-6120
Terminal Island Water/Wastewater Treatment Plant Facility
Secondary Process Flow Equalization Project
DRC provided structural engineering and construction support services on this project to improve the plant’s secondary treatment capacity. The project included installing submersible pumps at the aeration basins, a monorail system to move the pumps between different basins, step feed modifications, 24-inch and 16-inch pipelines, replacing access platforms, pipe supports, equipment supports, and structural modifications to the existing concrete structures.
During the preliminary design of the project various alternatives were investigated for the monorail system design to move the pumps between different basins. Due to the adverse environment at the basins, preventing corrosion was vital in the material selection. Newly designed stainless-steel platforms replaced corroded aluminum platforms; all pipe supports used stainless steel; and all seismic designs of structural supports for pumps, monorail system, piping, and electrical equipment resisted forces anticipated at the plant per UBC.
Los Angeles, CA
CLIENT: LA BUREAU OF SANITATION/EED
DRC Services Provided
• Structural Engineering
• Preliminary and Final Design
• Construction Support & Oversight
Reference
Ethan Wong, P.E. Bureau of Engineering, Environmental Engineering Division City of Los Angeles (310) 648-6120
Hyperion Pumping Plant, Treatment Plant, and Collection Systems Project
Engineering Services
DRC assisted with engineering services that included reviewing contract documents, shop drawings, instrumentation and process control design, electrical design, processing change orders, performing a constructability review, and providing claims assistance. All work was performed in accordance with the standards of the City of Los Angeles.
DRC assisted with reviewing the contract documents for appropriate schedule control and preparing the master schedule as determined by the city. DRC received and processed all contractor submittals, including detailed design calculations, design drawings, fabrication and installation drawings, erection drawings, lists, graphs, operating instructions, catalog sheets, data sheets, samples, and similar items. DRC assisted with responses to requests for information (RFIs), plan clarifications, and processed change orders. DRC played a key role in coordinating with public agencies and conducting meetings.
Los Angeles, CA
CLIENT: LA BUREAU OF SANITATION/EED
DRC Services Provided
• Instrumentation
• Process Control Design
• Electrical Design
• Bid Package Preparation
• Drafting Detail
• Reference Drawings
• Constructability Review
Reference
Ethan Wong, P.E. Bureau of Engineering, Environmental Engineering Division City of Los Angeles (310) 648-6120
Nogales Wash Flood Control Study, Arroyo Nogales
Preliminary Design Report and Planning
As prime consultant, DRC engineers developed a Preliminary Design Report to address alternatives for flood control measures in Nogales, Sonora. The study and the final report included coordination and review of existing data and literature, hydrologic and hydraulic models for Arroyo Nogales, three concept designs and cost estimates for structural improvements to reduce the potential for flooding, project schedules for major phases of design and construction activities for each design, a list of potential environmental requirements, and coordination with COE- LAD, IBWC, and local stakeholders at two project meetings.
DRC reviewed existing information and previously published documents pertaining to flood damages, runoff, and flood control measures in Nogales, Sonora and in Nogales, Arizona, as provided by the government. The information contained existing watershed scale topographic mapping for use in rainfall-runoff analyses, topographic mapping for use in hydraulic analyses and preliminary design of alternatives, topographic crosssection data for Arroyo Nogales in Nogales Sonora. Information includes dams, weirs, and channels as available, historic rainfall data, including depth, duration, and season of occurrence, published soil and vegetation characteristics that would affect runoff, historical stream flow data on Arroyo Nogales and tributaries, and regional dischargefrequency relationships for both project areas in the United States and Mexico.
Los Angeles, CA
CLIENT: LADWP
DRC Services Provided
• Preliminary Design Report
• Conceptual Design
• Topographic Mapping
• Environmental Surveys
• Environmental Assessment
• Hydrogeological Modeling
• Hydrologic and Hydraulic Models
• Environmental Compliance
• Reports
• Coordination Meetings
Our engineers attended meetings with IBWC staff at the Nogales Project Field Office to discuss flooding issues in the Nogales area and potential project alternatives. We also reviewed official planning documents for development in Nogales, Sonora and identified data source.
Reference
Ed Demesa, P.E. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District (213) 452-3820
Feasibility Level Project Designer and Cost Estimate
Storm Drainage Improvement at 10 Sites
The City of La Mirada contracted with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under a prime contract with DRC to perform a feasibility- level design document that includes the hydraulic grade line and project design plates for proposed storm drainage improvements at ten sites. The project plans include information of the existing drainage facility and how it is being modified to remediate the local flooding at those sites. The feasibility-level design plates include standard drawings from the Los Angeles County “Green Book.” In addition to the feasibilitylevel design, the final document also includes a feasibility level, project quantity take-off and site-specific project cost for each site.
As prime consultant, DRC reviewed the city’s Storm Water Flooding study (March 2008), including the feasibility-level hydrology and hydraulic technical planning appendix, to determine the unmet 25-year project discharge magnitude for all ten project sites. Based on field conditions, we determined the viability of designing a conceptual 25-year flood control storm drain plan. The determining factor is analyzing the capacity of the receiving disposal point based on the watershed evaluation of the drainage facilities. We reviewed the existing utility pipeline profiles to determine a practical bypass for the feasibility-level, storm drainage system at each of the 10 sites. DRC performed a feasibility-level hydraulics grade analysis to demonstrate that the downstream end of the project can receive the additional flow moving through the proposed storm drains to the terminus point.
DRC provided feasibility-level design data for the storm drainage pipes to help reduce the local flooding at the ten flooding sites. The feasibility-level design includes a conceptual plan and profile plates with starting and ending profile data and, as much as possible, the location of other utilities in the vicinity of the proposed project pipeline, for each site. We determined if there was an innovative solution that could be constructed under the constraints of the existing flow gradient or real estate limitations and provided a conceptual solution for any of the ten sites to help solve the flooding conditions, at a feasibility-level detail, at all of the sites.
La Mirada, CA
DRC Services Provided
• Site Investigation
• Coordination Meetings
• Feasibility Level Design
• Hydrology and Hydraulic Planning
• Hydraulics Grade Analyses
• Cost Estimates
• Design Report
CLIENT: U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS References
Ed Demesa, P.E. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District (213) 452-3822
Steve Forster, P.E. Public Works Director Department of Public Works City of La Mirada (562) 902-2385
Preparation of Final Plans and Specifications for Construction of the 24″ and 12″ Recycled Water Pipeline Engineering Services
As prime consultant, DRC managed the technical quality and appendices of the Quality Control Plan for approximately 4.5 miles of 24-inch and 0.75 miles of 12-inch Recycled Water pipelines and the evaluated the technical products and processes associated with the documentation obtained in developing the design, plans, and specifications. DRC documented reviews that demonstrated compliance with the existing laws, policies, regulations, and sound technical design practices. DRC conducted field investigations, research and investigated utilities, determined easement and right-of-way from existing APN maps, provided preliminary and final design, reviewed current USACE-guide specifications, prepared pre-final and final specifications, and provided construction cost estimates for designing the 24-inch and 12-inch recycled water main and related facilities to serve the northern section of the City of Lancaster.
The design consisted of contract drawings, specifications, cost estimate (MCACES), and engineering considerations and instructions for field personnel. Relying on experienced engineering judgment, DRC prepared design criteria (Los Angeles County Waterworks District No. 40) and followed procedures outlined in the scope of work. We prepared the final design report according to all criteria (federal, state, local) and all applicable USACE publications and manuals. The design services included documentation of coordination activities required to produce all work according to the stated scope of work in these categories: Project Design Features, Design Analysis, Design Criteria, Design Documents, and Contract Drawings.
La Mirada, CA
CLIENT: U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
DRC Services Provided
• Quality Control Plan
• Site Investigation
• Meeting Coordination
• Preliminary Design
• Final Design
• Specifications (SpecsIntact)
• Bidding Schedule (Primavera)
• Construction Cost Estimates (MCACES)
• Project Management
• ECIFP
• Water Distribution Modeling (WaterCAD)
Project Value
$5M
References
John Lei, P.E.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District (213) 452-3702
Andy Tiamzon
Associate Civil Engineer City of Lancaster, Department of Public Works (661) 945-6864
Rio De Flag Flood Control
Geotechnical Assessment
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Geotechnical Branch evaluated alternative approaches and associated costs for railroad embankment under-crossings integral to this flood control project. D R Consultants & Designers (DRC) performed a geotechnical assessment, including drilling, logging, sampling, and permitting to facilitate the evaluations and cost determinations.
As Prime Consultant, DRC provided traffic control and underground utility clearances; coordinated and provided all necessary city/state/railroad permits, including right-of-entry on Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) land. We ensured compliance with all applicable regulations with the Department of Water Resources and Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company requirements, including obtaining specialized insurance and permits to ingress and work on railroad land.
DRC conducted the subsurface utility avoidance verification effort, prepared a project-specific Safety and Health Plan, which focused on drill rig stability and worker safety on slopes, in forested areas, around overhead wires, near active railroad tracks, and within 25 feet of the centerline of railroad tracks. We prepared Traffic Control Plans, which took under consideration the use of the adjacent Chamber of Commerce parking lot as the ingress-egress point. Maintaining access and a good relationship with the Chamber was critical in our traffic plans since using other alternatives in the area would be more costly and cause more difficult traffic control issues.
DRC earned an “Outstanding Performance Rating” for this project.
Flagstaff, AZ
CLIENT: U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
DRC Services Provided
• Project Management
• Site Investigation
• Safety and Health Plan
• Traffic Control Study
• Permits and Regulations
• Drilling, Logging, Sampling
• Report Preparation
• Cost Estimates (MCACES)
Reference
Mark Chatman
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District (213) 452-3585
Perris Basin Desalination Design Project Engineering Services
DRC modified the original services for installing four new test wells for the Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) Property or Easement in the Perris Basin Desalination Program, a city in Riverside County, CA.
The project required an analysis of formation samples, a sieve analysis of drill cuttings, and an analysis of downhole geophysical logs after drilling commenced. They determined the depth of each well. The final well designs and decision to complete each test well were contingent upon the results of these analyses.
The work included reaming, installing blank and louvered well castings, installing gravel pack, and well development. DRC monitored the project, created the work plan, and a project schedule. We completed the welding of the steel plate over the top of the well casing, tubing, and annular space between the well and conductor casings to protect the wells from vandalism per the approval of the EMWD.
Our personnel conducted field investigations, installed and developed two new test wells located in city of Perris, Riverside County, California, in accordance with the technical requirements. The work included drilling, downhole geophysical and caliper logs, well construction, development, testing, alignment surveys, color video, disinfection, and pump foundation. We submitted test well documents and data. The new test wells were drilled and completed so as to produce from all water-bearing zones of acceptable properties and of water quality identified by the EMWD. If waterbearing zones were not considered adequate to produce the desired quantity and quality of water, the pilot borehole was destroyed and site work terminated. The operational capacity of the new test wells ranges from 300 to 1,000 gallons per minute (gpm).
La Mirada, CA
CLIENT: U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
DRC Services Provided
• Project Management
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Hydrology
• Hydrogeology
• Geology
• Scheduling Project Value
$1M
Los Angeles Aqueduct System
Climate Change Study
DRC reviewed the hydrologic and hydraulic modeling performed under future climate change scenarios and identified specific scenarios to consider for adaptation planning. The project goal was to develop conceptual-level information, including costs for conveyance to the site from the aqueduct.
We identified two locations along the Los Angeles Aqueduct for potential aquifer storage and recovery sites to provide 400,000 acre-ft of underground water storage, developed above ground infrastructure requirements for transport, temporary storage, and recovering water for those sites within ten miles of the aqueduct. Our team worked from USGS and other topographic-style maps.
DRC provided conceptual designs and cost estimates for the required aboveground infrastructure and identified opportunities to enhance conveyance capacity of the aqueduct immediately downstream of Haiwee Reservoir, including developing conceptual designs and cost estimates.
Los Angeles, CA
DRC Services Provided
• Research and Review
• Coordination Meetings
• Adaptation Measures Development Support
• General Operational Analysis
• Cost Estimates
KEY STAFF
Robert Babbitt Water/Wastewater Reclamation Practice Lead and Senior Project Manager
Mr. Babbitt is a leading odor control specialist and supported the City of LA, LABOE and LASAN to design, install, and startup 13 odor control systems. He currently supports DRC’s technical staff with various aspects of process and design of Operations & Maintenance at the City’s water/ wastewater treatment plants, including DRC’s team for commissioning and delivering the Distributed Control System (DCS) system and control systems commissioning group of LAWINS, who are working closely with the City’s O&M groups at the four water/wastewater plants and collection system. He has expertise in the HTP process, the collection system for HTP, and has environmental engineering training and experience writing NPDS Permits.
EDUCATION
• BS, Chemical Engineering Degree, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
• Project Management-Certificate, Bradley University, Peoria, IL
• Waste Water Treatment-Certificate, Toledo University, Cleveland, OH
• Hazardous and Toxic Materials Management, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION
California EPA - Registered Environmental Assessor – REA #04093 (Exp.)
The DRC team includes senior professionals with extensive and diverse experience in all aspects and types of water / wastewater projects. This experience includes various project types in multiple jurisdictions.
Dennis R. Kasper, PhD, PE Program Manager
For over 40 years, Dr. Kasper has consulted and supervised the planning and implementation of major national and international civil engineering projects, primarily municipal and industrial water supply, wastewater treatment and recycling, and hazardous wastes disposal. He has managed desalination projects, water quality investigations, process selection, water treatability, and water treatment system designs. He has extensive experience planning and designing wastewater treatment and reclamation systems to produce Title 22 and higher quality waters and has evaluated water impacts in various recycled water applications.
EDUCATION
• PhD, Environmental Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
• MS, Civil Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
• BS, Civil Engineering, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION
• California: Civil Engineer, No. 33945
• Arizona: Sanitary, No. 10828
• International Desalination Association
David Henry, PE
Principal Engineer and Strategic Planner
Mr. Henry has over 35 years of professional experience developing and delivering engineering, operations, and technical results for water utility services. His expertise encompasses corporate-level strategic and tactical planning, execution, and management; distribution system development and expansion; disaster mitigation; a water services representative to the California Public Utilities Commission; managing teams for Operations Engineering, Hydraulic Design and Modeling; directing efforts for improving process engineering and for innovation; and leading asset management and deployment teams. From 1990 to 2016, he served southern California’s Metropolitan Water District in various capacities: Program Manager III, Water System Control / Operations Technologist; Interim Operations IT Program Manager and Treatment Plant Retrofit Senior Engineer / Project Manager; and Project Engineer / Project Manager.
He was awarded the Best in the State of California for Risk Management; Distribution System Modeling (geospatial and logical) from the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO); and Outstanding Achievement in the Field of IT for Program Management; National Finalist, team-member recipient, NASCIO.
EDUCATION
• BS, Mechanical Engineering, California Polytechnic University, Pomona
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION
• California: Mechanical Engineer, No. M29353
Joseph Reichenberger, PE, BCEE, F.ASCE, Sr. Project Manager
and QA/QC Education
Mr. Reichenberger has over 50 years of professional experience in planning, design, and construction oversight of water supply, treatment, and distribution systems; wastewater collection, treatment, disposal and reuse systems; storm drainage systems and industrial wastewater systems. Extensive experience in computer modeling and analysis of water distribution systems and water and wastewater treatment system process and hydraulic analysis. Registered professional engineer in California and four other western states. Author of numerous articles and publications. Active in many professional organizations and is a Board- certified Environmental Engineer.
EDUCATION
• MS, Civil Engineering, University of Southern California, 1967
• BS, Civil Engineering, Marquette University, 1964
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION
• California: Civil Engineer, No. C18034
• California: Certified Grade T5 Water Treatment Facility Operator, No. 10083
• Arizona: Civil Engineer, No. 25115
• Nevada: Civil Engineer, No. 9336
Danny Bautista, PE
Project Manager – Electrical, Instrumentation and Controls
Mr. Bautista has over 40 years of experience in electrical systems planning, design and construction of various industrial, municipal, commercial, institutional, military, and other federal government facilities. He has extensive background in developing electrical power generation, distribution, instrumentation, communication, and control systems. His design and construction experience also includes water and wastewater treatment plants, petro-chemical plants, pumping stations, generating plants, U.S. Air Force and Navy installations, and high-rise buildings.
EDUCATION
• BS, Electrical Engineering, Mapua Institute of Technology, Manila
• Graduate Studies, Electrical Engineering and Control Systems, California State University, Fullerton
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION
• California: Electrical Engineer, No. E015561
• Michigan: Electrical Engineer, No. 6201055853
Madhu Bhatt, PE
Senior Project Manager Education
Mr. Bhatt has over 33 years of experience in project management, engineering, design, and construction management of projects in transportation, ports & harbors, utilities, flood control, water distribution, dams, reservoirs, pipelines, oil and gas facilities, and power plants worldwide.
Over the last ten years, he has specialized in managing large and small civil/utility design and engineering and various water distribution projects, primarily for the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District.
EDUCATION
• MS, Civil Engineering, University of Southhampton, England
• BE, Civil Engineering, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, India
• Postgraduate Diploma, Soil Mechanics, A.S.T.E.F. (l’ Association pour l’ Organization des Stages dans l’Industrial Francaise)
• Continuing Education in Construction Management, UCLA
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION
• California: Civil Engineer No. C21699
• Florida: Professional Engineer, No. 35364
• Member, Society of American Military Engineers (S.A.M.E.)
• Member, Engineering Education Committee, ASCE, Los Angeles Section
Omar Moghaddam, PE, CPP
Senior Technical Advisor
Mr. Moghaddam has over 40 years of experience in negotiating permits from the EPA, SCAQMD, Regional Water Quality Control Board, CEC, County Health Department, and the design, development, management, and operation of sustainable, and complex systems including the odor and VOC scrubbers, two-stage odor scrubbers including the Bio-Trickling Filters and biological activated carbon towers, and odor mitigation and dispersion in wastewater systems. Collaboration of Omar’s Applied Research Team with the University of California, Davis and University of California, Riverside for the first generation of the Bio-Trickling Filters at the Hyperion Plant has been the foundation of the new odor mitigation design. With a strong technical advisory and leadership background, Omar prioritizes the cost-effective implementation and prudent operation and maintenance (O&M) of environmental projects for the water, wastewater, and energy industries. He has also provided global leadership in developing several combined heat and power (CHP) projects from biogas and biomass. Omar is skilled in coordinating with project owners and operators, SCAQMD and permitting agencies, environmental constituencies, and stakeholders to negotiate permits.
EDUCATION
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATIONS & AFFILIATIONS
• Mechanical Engineer: No. 22279
• CPP w/SCAQMD #C8313
• California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA)
• California Water Environment Association (CWEA)
• South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Streamlining Task Force
• Southern California Alliance of Publicly Owned Treatment Works (SCAP)
J. Andrew Castillo, ENV SP
Structural Revit Designer & Bim Specialist
Mr. Castillo is a Architectural software expert with comprehensive REVIT / BIM design experience on projects. He has more than 10 years of REVIT / BIM design experience on a wide range of commercial, heath care, and residential projects. His software skills include Autodesk Revit / AutoCAD / 3Ds Max / 360, BlueBeam Studio, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Google Earth, Google SketchUP.
EDUCATION
• Master of Architecture, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA
• B.A, Art History, University of California, Santa Cruz
• PhD Candidate, Mechanical Engineering and Thermal Sciences, USC
• M.S., Mechanical Engineering, USC
• M.S., Petrochemical Engineering, USC
• B.S.,. Chemical Engineering, Abadan Institute of Technology
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION & CERTIFICATIONS
• ENV SP Certification from ISI
• American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
– Metro Los Angeles Branch
• American Public Works Association
• Railway Club of Southern California
• Jimmy Todorov, PE
Senior Discipline Lead
Mr. Todorov is a pragmatic and highly adaptable Project Design Lead and a Senior Project Engineer with 25 years of experience on a wide range of civil engineering and transportation projects. He produces and supervises uniformly highquality drawings. He has extensive expertise designing multiple components of transportation projects, including alignment geometry, highway and roadway widening, high- way interchange improvements, and street intersection improvements and rehabilitation. Mr. Todorov has worked on various CALTRANS and METRO highway and interchange projects. His expertise also includes supervising utility design and relocation, drainage, and sanitary sewers. With his exceptional attention to detail, he has demonstrated consistent levels of excellence with difficult and time-conscious projects. His unique space-saving, three-platform design of the Expo Line’s terminus in Santa Monica saved $5M.
EDUCATION
• B.S., Civil Engineering, University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, 1989. Sofia, Bulgaria
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION
• Civil Engineer: CA, No. C056972
