Suburban installed a new 12-inch diameter steel pipe on the bridge crossing the Walnut Creek Channel at Willow Avenue to replace a leaking waterline that was abandoned in 2014. The existing pipe could not be repaired because it is located beneath the existing concrete flood control channel.
The northwest corner of Suburban’s San Jose Hills distribution system has limited connections between the north and south sides of the Walnut Creek Channel. The loss of this important channel crossing resulted in reduced reliability in this area; specifically, customers are more susceptible to prolonged service interruptions during shutdowns required to repair leaks. There are several critical customers located in the impacted area including healthcare/public health facilities, emergency services, and public schools. The Westfield West Covina Mall is also located in this area.
Pipelines are typically constructed underground within the roadway. The scope of work for this project is unique because the steel pipe was attached to the side of the bridge with custom-designed and fabricated pipe supports. To work safely over the channel the contractor used a trailer-mounted personnel basket (Bridgewalker Type II) to install the supports.
This project will be completed in December 2022 and will greatly improve service reliability in this area.
Picture 1 – Bridgewalker Type II being used to install supports
Picture 2 – 12″ Steel pipe installed on pipe supports
