Behind the scenes, the City’s Field Utilities group, often in small teams of just two to four employees, worked tirelessly all year to keep our community running safely and smoothly. Their work may not always be visible as the water and sewer piping is all underground, but its impact reaches every home, business, and neighborhood we serve.

Water Distribution staff tackled an incredible workload this year, repairing 281 water leaks, repairing or replacing 18 fire hydrants, and replacing, repairing, or installing 800+ water meters. They successfully inspected 2,635 backflow preventers, exercised 3,769 water system valves and performed regular maintenance on hundreds of fire hydrants throughout the city to ensure system reliability and emergency readiness. In addition, they collaborated with Public Works Engineering, Community Development, and Capital Improvement Project (CIP) teams on new developments and infrastructure upgrades across the city, helping ensure safe and reliable water service for both new and existing residents.

Our Sewer Collection System team demonstrated the same dedication, completing 104 sewer system repairs and CCTV-inspecting 130,000 feet (24.6 miles) of collection system. They flushed and cleaned 156,000 feet (29.5 miles) of sewer lines and, in collaboration with Wastewater Operations, performed 48 sewer lift station cleanings, helping protect public health and the environment.

Together, this team responded to 1,530 individual resident concerns and handled an astounding 7,838 Underground Service Alert (USA) tickets, carefully marking existing city infrastructure to prevent damage and avoid service interruptions.

This year’s numbers tell a powerful story, but what is not fully captured is the teamwork, problem-solving, long hours, and pride these employees bring to their work every day. Above all, this team approaches every task with a resident and customer first mindset, responding with care, professionalism, and a commitment to reliable service. We are incredibly grateful for this group of professionals whose dedication to maintain regulatory compliance is exemplary, which keeps our water and sewer utility systems efficient and our community thriving. Thank you for always putting our residents and customers first.

This project supports the City’s vision that revitalizes and enhances the economic, social, cultural, and recreational fabric of the downtown urban core.

The Downtown Utility Improvement Project will replace and/or upsize aging water (approximately 10,000 feet) and sewer (approximately 4,000 feet) pipelines, ensuring enhanced reliability and capacity to support downtown revitalization efforts.

The project was awarded to Koios Engineering Inc. on November 12, 2024, construction is scheduled to begin Spring 2025.

The Jepson Parkway project is an I-80 reliever route that will improve intra-county mobility for Solano County residents and consists of a series of projects to widen and improve roads from Suisun City to Vacaville. Phase 2 of this project within the City of Vacaville consists of roadwork along Leisure Town Road between Elmira Road and Sequoia Drive.

The Leisure Town Road Parallel Trunk sewer project (DIF 38A) has been incorporated into this larger project. Peak sewer flows in parallel sewer lines along Leisure Town Road have begun to approach existing sewer capacity due to upstream development projects. This sewer replacement project will involve abandoning existing parallel segments of 24-inch, 27-inch, and 30-inch sewer lines along Leisure Town Road between Elmira Road and Ulatis Drive and replacing them with a single 48-inch sewer line to accommodate future peak flows.

The project was awarded to Goodfellow Bros. on December 12, 2023.

Water and sewer lines along Stinson Ave. and West Monte Vista Ave. currently have condition and capacity concerns. To address these issues, upsizing the aging water and sewer lines are required to meet current future capacity.

Along Stinson Ave., 8-inch sewer pipes will be upsized to 12 inches. On West Monte Vista Ave., 10-inch sewer pipes will be upsized with 15-inch pipes, and 12-inch sewer pipes will be upsized with 18-inch pipes. Additionally, a portion of the 8-inch water pipe on West Monte Vista Ave. will be upsized to a 12-inch pipe.

This project was awarded to Koios Engineering Inc. on November 12, 2024, construction is scheduled to begin Spring 2025.

Well 17 is a new groundwater supply well at the intersection of Alamo Drive and Snowy Owl Drive. The well will provide additional water supply to meet the needs of new development. Well drilling was completed as a separate project in Summer 2020. This project includes design and construction of the building, piping, and additional facilities necessary to put the well into service.

The project was awarded to T&S Construction Co., Inc. on September 27, 2022, construction is anticipated to be completed in Summer 2025.

Field Utilities staff identified a damaged 12-inch water line that is attached underneath the bridge along Alamo Drive, near Grandview Drive. The existing pipeline will be replaced with a new 12-inch water line secured to the side of the bridge, improving both accessibility and safety for future maintenance and reducing potential future damage to the pipeline.

Design is expected to be completed in Summer 2025.

The existing Allison Drive sewer line needs to be replaced and upsized to provide additional sewer capacity for continued development in the Reynolds Ranch and Rice McMurtry areas. The Allison Drive Truck Sewer project will include upsizing the existing 12-inch gravity sewer to a new 15-inch line to accommodate capacity needs.

Design is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.

The existing Leisure Town Lift Station is located near the intersection of Leisure Town Road and Sequoia Drive. This project includes increasing its capacity to meet current and future capacity requirements.  Design includes a new odor control system, electrical and instrumentation, landscaping, fencing, asphalt concrete paving, lighting, site development, and constructing an approximately 3,300 feet of 24-inch sewer force main along Leisure Town Road.

Design is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.

New development near Midway Road requires water distribution infrastructure to serve the proposed growth in the area and to maintain a looped water system. The Midway Road Water Line project includes installing an 18-inch water line from Eubanks Drive to Leisure Town Road, and a 12-inch water line from Leisure Town Road to Meridian Road.  

Design is expected to be completed by early 2026.

A portion of the 8-inch water line on Tulare Drive from Alamo Drive to California Drive will be replaced with a new 8-inch water line due to several maintenance issues.

Design is expected to be completed by Spring 2025.

Well 2B is a new well drilled at the Well 2 facility replacing the old well which had numerous defects and reduced capacity. This project includes design and construction of building improvements, electrical and instrumentation, piping and additional facilities necessary to put the well into service.

Multiple sewer lines in downtown Vacaville have deteriorated since original construction which has led to several maintenance issues.

The sewer lines located in the alleys north and south of Peach Tree Avenue will be replaced with a new 8-inch sewer line. The project will re-align an existing 8-inch sewer line at the intersection of Mason Street and West Street to remove a 45-degree bend that causes maintenance difficulties. Approximately 70 feet of sewer line in Merchant Street will be replaced, correcting slope issues. These improvements have also been combined with the replacement of a sewer line in an alley off Callen Street and the installation of sewer and water laterals north of Fruitvale Road.

The project was awarded to Bay Pacific Pipelines, Inc., on October 12, 2021, and accepted by City Council on August 23, 2022.

This project consists of removing and replacing approximately 1,660 feet of 15-inch sewer line along Alamo Drive between Alamo Creek Court and Grandview Court. The existing sewer line is severely deteriorating and will be replaced with new vitrified clay pipe.

The project was awarded to Bay Pacific Pipelines, Inc., on September 14, 2021, and was accepted by City Council on June 14, 2022.

The existing Allison Parkway Lift Station along Allison Parkway south of Vaca Valley Parkway needed to be replaced and upsized to provide additional sewer capacity for continued development in the Reynolds Ranch and Rice McMurtry areas. The project includes replacing the existing lift station, equipping it with variable speed pumps, on-site backup power, flow metering, and remote monitoring and control systems.

The project was awarded to Mark III Construction, Inc. on July 23, 2019. Construction was completed on December 11, 2023 and accepted by City Council on January 9, 2024.

An existing 12-inch sewer line crosses Ulatis Creek in Andrews Park at an elevated crossing. The support system for this crossing has been degraded in storm events, and the line needs to be stabilized. The entire sewer crossing will be removed and replaced. This project has been combined with improvements to the Ulatis Creek walk as well.

The project was awarded to Team Ghilotti, Inc. on June 22, 2021. Construction was completed and accepted by City Council on August 22, 2023.

Part of the hillside at Browns Valley Reservoir was severely eroded following heavy rains in March 2019. This project included slope repair and long-term stabilization to ensure site safety.

The project was awarded to Ground Control, Inc., on July 2, 2020, and accepted in December 2020.

The Buck Avenue bridge that crosses Alamo Creek was constructed in 1947 and is considered functionally obsolete by Caltrans. This project replaces the bridge with a new single span, cast-in-place concrete bridge with pedestrian access provided on the bridge. Along with the bridge, the project includes replacement of the existing 18-inch water transmission main across the creek with a new ductile iron pipe.

The project was awarded to Joseph J. Albanese, Inc. on April 28, 2020, and accepted by City Council on April 13, 2022.

Several sewer lines in various alleys in Downtown Vacaville have been surveyed and found to need repair and/or replacement based on condition. The Downtown area is the oldest area of town, and many of these lines have been in service since the original construction in the area.

Sewer lines in ten alleys will be replaced with new lines which meet current City standards, and manholes will be replaced or rehabilitated based on condition assessments.

The project was awarded to California Trenches, Inc. on December 13, 2022, and accepted by City Council on December 12, 2023.

The City's Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant (EWWTP) is served by its own onsite water system, comprised of two groundwater wells and a concrete storage reservoir. The existing wells have not been reliable in recent years, so a new well will be constructed at the site to add resiliency and reliability to the water system.

This project was awarded to Maggiora Bros. Drilling, Inc., on June 28, 2022, and accepted by City Council on January 9, 2024.

This is the first phase of a two-phase sewer line rehabilitation project along Main Street and Elmira Road. This project was identified in the 2018 Wastewater Facilities Master Plan and will reduce the impact of pipeline and manhole deterioration in the existing reinforced concrete trunk lines.

The project was awarded to Nor-Cal Pipeline Services on March 23, 2021, and accepted by City Council on February 22, 2022.

A 10-inch sewer line on Needham Drive at the intersection of Alamo Drive was a source of ongoing maintenance issues. This project removed and replaced 100 feet of pipeline and two manholes at this location to correct this problem.

The project was awarded to APB General Engineering on June 2, 2020, and the project was closed out in January 2021.

In August 2018, a video inspection was conducted on the existing Well 2 facility after the City’s Water Operations staff noticed a decrease in production, revealing several defects. The City determined it would be more cost-effective to drill a new well at the same site than to repair the existing well, as even with repairs, the production capacity of the existing well would remain lower than desired. The existing Well 2 has been destroyed, and a new Well 2B will be drilled at the same site.

This project was awarded to Roadrunner Drilling on July 27, 2021, and accepted by City Council on September 26, 2023. A separate project will design and construct the equipment required to put it into service.

Water lines in the Wykoff Drive area have needed several repairs since their original construction in the 1960s. Maintenance and repairs in this area are difficult due to the narrow and hilly streets.

To reduce ongoing maintenance needs, approximately 2500 feet of 6-inch water lines in Wykoff Drive and Glenwood Court will be replaced with new 8-inch PVC water lines, along with new valves and fire hydrants. A section of sewer line along Wykoff Drive will also be upsized from a 4-inch line to an 8-inch line.

The project was awarded to Team Ghilotti on May 9, 2023, and accepted by City Council on August 27, 2024.