Well 5 PRS Relocation
Summary
SCH Number
2026060077
Public Agency
Santa Margarita Water District
Document Title
Well 5 PRS Relocation
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
6/2/2026
Document Description
Relocation and replacement of an existing below grade pressure reducing vault and its associated piping and valves within an existing District easement. The project consists of the relocation and replacement of an existing below-grade pressure reducing vault and its associated piping and valves within an existing District easement. The existing underground vault will be abandoned in place after all existing interior piping and valves have been disconnected and removed. A new above-ground pressure reducing station, consisting of new piping, valves, and appurtenances, will be installed on a new concrete pad or crushed-rock improved surface at a nearby location within the same District easement. A new perimeter security fence will be installed around the above-ground assembly. Tie-ins to the existing District water main will require limited excavation and minor removal of small, non-native ruderal vegetation at the connection points, all of which will occur entirely within the existing District easement. The project area is generally cleared of vegetation and is located approximately 200 feet from a normally low-flow creek; no work will occur within the creek, its bed, bank, or channel, and no work will occur within any riparian canopy. The project does not increase the capacity or change the operational function of the pressure reducing station; it replaces aging infrastructure with new equivalent infrastructure in a configuration that is safer and more accessible for maintenance personnel. The purpose of the project is to replace aging, deteriorated water distribution infrastructure and to relocate the pressure reducing facility from a below-grade confined space vault to an above-ground configuration. The above ground configuration eliminates confined-space entry hazards for maintenance personnel, improves operational access for inspection and repair, reduces the risk of in service failure of aged piping and valves, and improves long-term reliability of the District's water distribution system in this service area. The beneficiaries include the District's water customers served by this segment of the distribution system, who will continue to receive reliable water service with reduced risk of outages and pressure disruptions; District operations and maintenance personnel, who will benefit from safer above-ground -access that eliminates confined-space entry; and the general public.
Contact Information
Name
Tricia Butler
Agency Name
Santa Margarita Water District
Job Title
Chief Engineer
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency / Project Applicant / Parties Undertaking Project / Responsible Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
San Juan Capistrano
Counties
Orange
Regions
Citywide, Countywide, Southern California
Cross Streets
27802 Calle Arroyo
Zip
92675
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 1 and Class 2, Sections 15301(b) and 15302
Reasons for Exemption
Class 2 exempts the replacement or reconstruction of existing utility systems and/or facilities involving negligible or no expansion of capacity. This project meets that description and qualifies for the exemption. The project replaces existing pressure reducing infrastructure with new equivalent infrastructure of the same purpose and capacity. While the new above-ground station will be located a short distance from the original below-grade vault, both the existing and replacement facilities are within the same District easement and serve the identical function in the distribution system, consistent with the "same site" standard as applied to linear and utility facilities. Class 1 Exemption, To the extent the project involves the operation, repair, maintenance, or minor alteration of an existing public utility facility, Section 15301(b) specifically applies to "existing facilities of both investor and publicly owned utilities used to provide... water... or other public utility services." The project involves no expansion of use or capacity.
County Clerk
Orange
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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