Rapid Response Earns Calleguas MWD Project of the Year from American Public Works Association by Calleguas Municipal Water District Apr 23, 2024 Member Submitted News Quick thinking and effective planning paid off when a leak was detected in Calleguas Municipal Water District’s Salinity Management Pipeline (SMP) very early on an August morning in 2023. Repair teams sprang into action, working 24/7 to ensure the leak in the 54” pipe was contained as fast as possible, resulting in an impressive repair time of just about 100 hours and avoiding potential impacts to motorists, residents, businesses, and the water treatment facilities that discharge into the SMP. For these efforts, the APWA Ventura County chapter awarded the Calleguas team Project of the Year in the disaster or emergency construction category at its April 11, 2024 meeting. Sarah Mathews, the chapter’s Director at Large, credited the project’s success to “strong leadership of the Board, the forward-thinking ingenuity of the Engineering Team, and the collaborative relationships that Calleguas has built throughout the County.” She added, “Congratulations to General Manager Kristine McCaffrey, Engineering Manager Fernando Baez, Senior Project Manager Tim Powers, Inspectors Steve Lazar and J’Maal Holts, and the entire project team for their hard work in completing this challenging project.” Calleguas MWD is a water wholesaler that provides supply throughout Ventura County via 19 purveyors, including cities, special districts, investor-owned utilities, and mutual water companies. The District, founded in 1953, is represented by a five-member elected Board of Directors and serves 640,000 people – about three-quarters of the County’s population. Calleguas’s SMP is a brine and treated wastewater conveyance pipeline designed to manage the use of high salinity groundwater and treated municipal wastewater, dispose of the brine produced by enhanced water treatment, and facilitate the development of water sources otherwise unavailable due to poor water quality. APWA is a nationwide organization comprised of over 30,000 public works professionals. The local Ventura County chapter consists of over 300 members and is one of the most active chapters in the country. Image: Flanked by Calleguas MWD Board members and staff, Senior Project Manager Tim Powers accepts the Project of the Year award from APWA Ventura County chapter Director at Large Sarah Mathews.