Riverside County Sheriff (RSO) Southwest Station Emergency Sewer Floor Project
Summary
SCH Number
2026010392
Public Agency
Riverside County
Document Title
Riverside County Sheriff (RSO) Southwest Station Emergency Sewer Floor Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
1/15/2026
Document Description
On October 28, 2025, a sewer backup occurred at the Riverside County Sheriff Southwest Station located at 30755-A Auld Road in Murrieta. The blockage in the lobby restroom floor drain caused sewer water to overflow and flood a portion of the administrative office space. Facilities Management – Maintenance Services Division (FM-MSD) personnel, in coordination with restoration vendors, promptly mitigated the intrusion, and initiated repair and restoration efforts.
FM-MSD issued an emergency declaration pursuant to the authority delegated in Resolution No. 2003-23 by the Board of Supervisors, allowing immediate action to procure contracts to provide emergency work without competitive bidding. Failure to immediately address the issues would pose an imminent health and safety hazard and could result in the loss of County services. The remediation at the sewer flood damage is identified as the proposed project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The operation of the facility will continue to provide public services and will not result in a change or expansion of existing use. No additional direct or indirect physical environmental impacts are anticipated.
Contact Information
Name
Mike Sullivan
Agency Name
Riverside County
Job Title
Senior Environmental Planner/Facilities Operations Manager
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency / Project Applicant / Parties Undertaking Project
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
Murrieta
Counties
Riverside
Regions
Citywide
Zip
92563
Parcel #
963-080-013
Other Location Info
30755-A Auld Road, West of Leon Road
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Statutory Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Section 15269 (b)(c) Emergency Projects
Reasons for Exemption
This statutory exemption consists of emergency projects that are exempt under CEQA. Under (b), emergency repairs to publicly or privately owned service facilities necessary to maintain service essential to the public health, safety or welfare are exempt. Under (c), specific actions necessary to prevent or mitigate an emergency are exempt. The remediation of the sewer water leak at the RSO Southwest Station satisfies both of these conditions, as the facility is an essential public facility that provides housing, health and medical services to those in the facility. The sewer leak at the facility posed a risk to infectious contamination that could have potentially resulted in the loss of the critical health services to the facility. Emergency remediation was required to avoid a threat to the public health, safety and welfare. Therefore, the project is exempt as it meets the scope and intent of the Statutory Exemption identified in Section 15269, Article 18, Statutory Exemptions of the CEQA Guidelines.
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Section 15301 Class 1 Existing Facilities
Reasons for Exemption
This Class 1 categorical exemption includes the operation, repair, maintenance, leasing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures or facilities, provided the exemption only involves negligible or no expansion of the previous site’s use. The project, as proposed, is limited to the emergency sewer flood remediation at the RSO Southwest Station. The use of the facilities would continue to provide public services and would not result in a significant increase in capacity or intensity of use. Therefore, the project is exempt as it meets the scope and intent of the Categorical Exemption identified in Section 15301, Article 19, Categorical Exemptions of the CEQA Guidelines.
Exempt Status
Other
Type, Section or Code
Section 15061 (b)(3) Common Sense
Reasons for Exemption
In accordance with CEQA, the use of the Common Sense Exemption is based on the “general rule that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment.” State CEQA Guidelines, Section 15061(b) (3). The use of this exemption is appropriate if “it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment.” Ibid. This determination is an issue of fact and if sufficient evidence exists in the record that the activity cannot have a significant effect on the environment, then the exemption applies and no further evaluation under CEQA is required. See No Oil, Inc. v. City of Los Angeles (1974) 13 Cal. 3d 68. The ruling in this case stated that if a project falls within a category exempt by administrative regulation or 'it can be seen with certainty that the activity in question will not have a significant effect on the environment', no further agency evaluation is required. With certainty, there is no possibility that the project may have a significant effect on the environment. The proposed sewer flood remediation will not result in any direct or indirect physical environmental impacts. The improvements would occur within existing facility, would not alter the footprint and is being completed to create a compliant and safe facility. The use of the facility for public services would remain unchanged. Therefore, in no way, would the project as proposed have the potential to cause a significant environmental impact and the project is exempt from further CEQA analysis.
County Clerk
Riverside
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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