Mid‐Basin Injection: Centennial Park
OCWD: Ben Smith Tetra Tech: Mike Tsoi & Erin Cabanero
Orange County Water District
• CA special district, manage groundwater in central & 
north Orange County
• Water supply to 19 agencies, serving >2.4 million
• Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS):
wastewater to drinking water
• Seawater intrusion barrier in Fountain Valley &
Huntington Beach
• Santa Ana River and lakes to capture & recharge water
• 2,150± acres land above Prado Dam: water conservation, 
storage, & quality
• Green Acres Project: disinfected tertiary for non‐potable uses
Overview of GWRS Projects
• GWRS Original Project (Completed 2008)
– 70 MGD treatment facility with future expansion 
capacities, injection wells, and 13.8 mile pipeline
• GWRS Initial Expansion (Completed 2015)
– Expansion to 100 MGD, flow equalization
• GWRS Final Expansion (Completion ~2023)
– Expansion to 130 MGD, pump station, water supply 
pipeline, & treatment process reconfiguration at OC 
Sanitation District Plant 2
Recharge of GWRS Water
Total GWRS Final Expansion capacity = 130 MGD
MBI
8 MGD
Burris Basin
Outlet &
Pump Station
20 MGD
GWRS Final
Expansion
130 MGD
Talbert
Seawater
Barrier
> 15 MGD
Recharge Facility Recharge Capacity
Talbert Seawater Barrier > 15 MGD
Mid‐Basin Injection 1.5 + 6.5 MGD
Burris Basin Outlet 20 MGD
Anaheim Recharge Basins 87 MGD
TOTAL 130 MGD
Recharge Basins
87 MGD
Project Location
June 2017 Principal Aquifer Contours
CENTENNIAL 
PARK
Why Centennial Park?
– Raise local water levels
– Next to MBI Demonstration project
– Next to existing GWRS pipeline
– Recharge GWRS water with 4 wells
– Reduce nearby well pumping energy
– Reduce amount of GWRS water that 
must be recharged in Anaheim
Travel Time & Level Change
Site Stakeholders
• City
• Park Users
• Nearby Residents
• Santa Ana College
• Godinez High School
• Mitchell School
• Heritage Museum
Santa Ana MOU & License
• Federal & State approvals required
• MOU and License outline:
– Site Use Restrictions
• Max. 6 month impact to single location
– General Project Concept
• No permanent loss of park use
• Wells below grade in parking lots
• Not interrupt park uses during construction
– Site Improvements
• Asphalt Paving
• Shared Structures
• Lake Replenishment
MBI‐1
Components
- Connect to GWRS & Cross Edinger Bridge
- 1.9 Miles Supply & Backflush Pipes 
(night‐time)
- 2 Air‐Gap Structures
- 4 Injection Wells in Vaults
(24‐hour drilling, ~1,100 ft)
- 2 CMU Shared Structures
- 2 Monitoring Wells (~1,200 ft)
- Grind & Cap Paving (9.6 ac)
- Skate Park Camera/Fence
- Process Control System
Demonstration MBI Well
Above Ground Pipes, Motor, & Building
Centennial wells will be below ground & electrical in Shared Structures
Completed Construction April 2015
Drilling Development & Staging
Edinger Bridge Crossing
30” pipe, aesthetic cover
OC Encroachment & ACOE 408
Project Timeline
Event Dates
Execute MOU with City of Santa Ana July 2014
Certify EIR/EA April 2016
Execute City Agreement and SAUSD Easement June 2016
Design Jul 2015 – Feb 2017
Financing Application Apr 2016 – Jul 2017
Execute Second SAUSD Easement (SAR-13) April – June 2017
Award MBI-2017-1 Construction July 2017
Construct MBI-2017-2 (SAR-13) Aug – Dec 2017
Submit Title 22 MBI Eng. Report Supplement February 2018
Hold Required DDW Public Hearing July 2018
Obtain Regional Board Permit Amendment December 2019
Begin Operation of MBI Centennial Park Wells Spring 2019
Complete MBI-2017-1 Construction January 2020
Budget & Funding
Description Budget
Pre-Design Technical Studies $ 64,705
Design Services $ 1,145,099
Easements $ 50,400
Permitting $ 50,000
Construction Contract $ 23,107,567
Construction Contract (First Monitoring Well) $ 1,138,380
Construction Management
Civil Construction Management $ 1,155,932
Well Construction Management $ 564,170
Project Contingency $ 2,323,747
Total Project Budget $ 29,800,000
SRF Loan (1.7% interest, 30 years) $27,300,000
Green Project Grant $ 2,500,000
Project Team
Orange County Water District
Tetra Tech
Butier, Geotechnical Consultants
Pacific Hydrotech Corporation
Best Drilling and Pump
OWNER:
DESIGN:
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT: 
PRIME CONTRACTOR: 
WELL CONTRACTOR: 
Project Site
Injection 
Wells
Demonstration 
MBI Well
Monitoring 
Wells
Shared 
Structures
Supply Pipes
Backflush 
Pipe
Santa Ana River Crossing
OPTIONS
Bore and jack option Existing knockouts within bridge
Santa Ana River Crossing
OPTIONS
Pipeline on Edinger bridge
Downsize pipe from 36” to 30”
Santa Ana River Crossing
PROTECTIVE CAGE AND AESTHETIC TREATMENT
County Review
Army Corp of Engineers 408 permit
Santa Ana River Crossing
PERMITTING
• 16”/ 12” supply injection pipeline
• 16” backflush pipeline
• Instrumentation controls duct bank
• Existing utilities
Centennial Road
CONSTRUCTION
Supply Pipe Material
Epoxy lined & CMC steel pipe
Ductile Iron Pipe or CML&C steel pipe
Backflush Pipe Material
Contractor selected DIP
Instrumentation Controls
ELECTRICAL AND INSTRUMENTATION CONDUITS
Injection Well
LOCATED WITHIN BELOWGROUND VAULTS
Supply / Injection Mode
Backflush Mode
Downhole Control Valve
Supply / Injection Mode
Backflush Mode
• Air gap into lake through 
abandoned irrigation 
system
• Lake evaporation
• Backflush reduces 
potable water refill
• Backflush event raises 
lake by ½‐inch
Backflush Discharge to Lake
Backflush Discharge to Storm Drain
Air gap into storm drain
Backflush Discharge to Storm Drain
High school sign on structure
Removing and replacing sign
Monitoring Well
WELL DRILLING
Monitoring Well
SOUND WALL INSTALLATION
Placing sound panels
Finished 24’ tall sound walls
Monitoring Well
COMPLETED SITE
Monitoring well in belowground vault
Well Drilling
FIRE HYDRANT INSTALLATION
Hot tap into existing pipeline
Flushing the hydrant
New hydrant
• OCWD electrical room
• City locker rooms
• City public bathrooms
Shared Structure 1        
• Same location as existing 
bathroom
• OCWD electrical room
• City office for skate park
• City public bathrooms
Shared Structure 2        
ADA Compliance
Shared Structure 2
Shared Structure 1
• Improved irrigation system 
for Gospel Swamp Farm
• Garden beds
• Improving educational 
farming facility
Heritage Museum Improvements
Maintaining access
ACCESS TO SOCCER FIELDSACCESS TO SOCCER FIELDS
Critical Components
CONSTRUCTION PHASINGCONSTRUCTION PHASING
• Nighttime construction
• Well construction at no more 
than two locations at a time
Godinez 
High 
School
Santa Ana 
College
Athletic 
Fields
Parking Lots
Critical Components
MULTIPLE DEPARTMENT PERMITTINGMULTIPLE DEPARTMENT PERMITTING
• Public Works
• Parks and Recreation
• Planning/ Building
• Police Department
• Fire Authority
• School District
OCWDOCWD
SANTA ANA
Planning & Building
SANTA ANA
Planning & Building
SANTA ANA
Public Works
SANTA ANA
Public Works
SANTA ANA
Parks & 
Recreation
SANTA ANA
Parks & 
Recreation
SANTA ANA
Police 
Department
SANTA ANA
Police 
Department
Orange 
County Fire 
Authority
Orange 
County Fire 
Authority
SANTA ANA
Unified 
School 
District
SANTA ANA
Unified 
School 
District
Critical Components
POTHOLING DURING DESIGN PHASEPOTHOLING DURING DESIGN PHASE
• Open cut across entire width of street
• Soil conditions: unconsolidated sand
• Existing street alignment within curved street
410 ft radius
310 ft radius
Mid‐Basin Injection: Centennial Park
OCWD: Ben Smith, Tetra Tech: Mike Tsoi & Erin Cabanero

ASCE OC - EWRI: OCWD Mid-Basin Injection: Centennial Park Project