Headworks, Lift Stations and Force Mains Project
The Russian River County Sanitation District (District) services a 2,700 acre area located within the heart of the Russian River watershed near Guerneville, CA. The facilities within the District’s service area include a complex gravity and pressurized force main pipeline network, 11 lift stations, and a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) located just east of Vacation Beach.
The wastewater infrastructure within the District’s service area was originally constructed in the 1970’s and 1980’s, prompting the District to investigate the condition of the lift stations, force mains, and headworks facility at the WWTP.
The District has completed an alternatives analysis of three force mains in its network and an extensive condition assessment of all lift stations and the headworks facility. The results of each of the assessments have contributed to the District’s understanding of the infrastructure improvements necessary within its service area.
The full report is available here and suggested improvements are summarized below.
Force Mains
Rio Nido Force Main
This force main is approximately 930 feet in length consisting of 8-inch diameter ductile iron pipe with mechanical joints installed in River Road starting at the Rio Nido Lift Station at the intersection of River Road and Rio Nido Road. It continues south on Highway 116 to a discharge manhole, connecting to the gravity sewer system.
Beanwood Force Main
This force main is approximately 1,350 feet in length consisting of 8-inch diameter cement-mortar lined (CML) welded steel pipe where exposed on the Guerneville Bridge crossing, and cement-mortar lined and coated (CMLC) steel pipe where buried. The pipe extends from the Beanwood Lift Station near the intersection of Neeley Road and Drake Road to the Guerneville Bridge where it is suspended from the bridge for a length of 760 feet to traverse the Russian River. The force main ends on the west side of the Russian River at a discharge manhole near River Road.
Main Force Main
This force main is approximately 8,560 feet in length consisting of 16-inch diameter CMLC steel pipe from the Main Lift Station on Riverside Drive. The pipe turns onto the State Highway 116 right-of-way for approximately 5,320 feet before it crosses the Russian River via a trenched concrete-encased crossing. The force main then travels approximately 3,230 feet along Vacation Beach Road, Orchard Avenue, and an easement to the headworks of the District’s WWTP.
Lift Station Facilities
A majority of the deficiencies associated with the District lift station facilities relate to the site electrical equipment. Two of the lift stations (Main and Rio Nido) contain a building to house the electrical control centers while the remainder of the lift stations contain the electrical facilities outdoors. The collection system area, including that surrounding the lift stations, has historically been inundated with floodwaters during high water events. The outdoor electrical and motor control centers have been elevated on metal platforms in recent years to avoid the risk of being damaged by water during such flood events.
- Rio Nido Lift Station
- Beanwood Lift Station
- Main Lift Station
- Drake Estate Lift Station
- Drake Road Lift Station
- Watson Road Lift Station
- Laughlin Road Lift Station
- Guerneville Lift Station
- Guernewood Park Lift Station
- Center Way Lift Station
- Vacation Beach Lift Station
Headworks Facilities
The headworks facility at the WWTP consists of a primary bar screen, two mechanical spiral intake screens, each rated for 5.5-mgd capacity, a concrete Parshall flume for measuring flow rate, and a grit chamber equipped with two submersible 7.5-HP grit handling pumps located in a basement pumping room. Based on as-built information, the piping system for the grit pumping station consists of approximately 220 linear feet of 4-inch diameter pipe that discharges into the grit classifier on the second floor of the mechanical building, where the grit is dewatered and separated. The grit classifier is difficult for the District to maintain and operate since it is relatively far away from the headworks where the grit pumps are located.
Public Meetings
Russian River County Sanitation District Virtual Community Meeting May 10, 2023
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