Contractor of Choice – Mladen Buntich Construction Co. was contracted by the The Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP). LADWP was building a new Reservoir Storage Facility at the Headworks spreading grounds, a 43-acre site adjacent to the Los Angeles River and between the City of Burbank and Griffith Park.
In January 2006, the United States Environmental Protection Agency promulgated the Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule and the Stage 2 Disinfections and Disinfection Byproducts Rule. These stringent water quality regulations resulted in the LADWP’s decision to remove all open reservoirs from service because they are open to the environment and subject to contamination. To comply with the aforementioned regulations, these reservoirs must either be covered, have their water treated prior to use, or be bypassed. Compliance with the regulations requires removal of the Silver Lake and Ivanhoe Reservoirs from potable water supply service and construction of two underground reservoirs and a large-diameter pipeline located at Headworks property, replacing the operational function of Silver Lake and Ivanhoe.
The replacement storage is below grade and consists of two water storage facilities, the Headworks East Reservoir and the Headworks West Reservoir. In order to take advantage of the renewable energy source developed by the flowing water, a four-megawatt hydroelectric plant was built on site to generate power. An ecosystem was developed to establish environmental habitats and recreation facilities for community use.
Mladen Buntich Construction Co. was awarded 2 contracts in the beginning of 2013 for providing services for the procurement, installation, and backfill of 18-inch to 96-inch welded steel pipe for the inlet, outlet, drain, and overflow piping and storm drain. In addition to the new utility installation, Buntich installed the deep access shafts for the tunneling work with a beam and plate shoring system.
Project Features Include:
- The project consisted of 4 phases.
- Phase I consisted of the Headworks East Reservoir, Valve Vaults, Associated Site Piping, and Grading, River Supply Conduit 1A East and Tunnel Section.
- Phase II consisted of construction of the Headworks West Reservoir.
- Phase III consisted of the River Supply Conduit 1A West; Hydroelectric Power Plant, and Regulating Station.
- Phase IV consisted of the ecosystem restoration of the entire project site.
