Los Rios Street Improvements, C-9028B

The Santa Margarita Water District is undertaking a sewer pipeline replacement project along Los Rios Street in San Juan Capistrano, California, to bypass an existing sewer line situated within the OCTA railway right-of-way, addressing persistent maintenance challenges and operational constraints. The project, identified internally as C-9028B, involves constructing a new pipeline less than one mile in length within an existing public right-of-way and is classified as a ministerial action exempt from full environmental review under California Public Resources Code § 21080.21. The work is limited to the segment from Del Obispo Street approximately 500 feet northward, with inspections and acceptance occurring on-site. A Notice of Exemption and Certificate of Determination have been filed with the Orange County Clerk-Recorder and the Office of Planning and Research, satisfying state environmental compliance requirements. The project is currently in a forecasted phase with no formal solicitation number, contract value, or defined period of performance disclosed. There is no evidence of federal procurement clauses, evaluation factors, contract types, or payment procedures typically found in federal acquisition documents. The Santa Margarita Water District serves as the sole lead agency with no identified contracting officer, COR, or COTR, and no cost estimates, CLINs, or invoicing protocols are provided. Technical specifications, material standards, or quality control criteria are absent, with compliance limited to the statutory exemption under CEQA. The only verified contractual elements are administrative filings and environmental approvals, with no indication of competitive bidding, socioeconomic set-asides, or contractor representations beyond the agency's certification of exemption. Contact for project coordination is provided through the Chief Engineer, Tricia Butler, and Project Engineer, Mike Marquis, but the procurement process remains undeveloped in the available documentation, suggesting the project is still in the planning or pre-solicitation phase.