Suburban Water Systems’ 860 miles of distribution pipelines deliver water to customers for drinking, domestic use, irrigation, and fire protection. Suburban has a proactive annual program to replace aged and deteriorating water pipelines with new robust pipelines to provide safe and reliable service to the community. The Dittmar and Kibbee pipeline project will replace 6,745 feet (1.25 miles) of pipeline in the City of Whittier neighborhood located north of Dittmar Dr, south of Starbuck St., and between Scott Ave and Santa Gertrudes Ave. Construction for this project began in April 2023 and is expected to be completed by December 2023.
The Dittmar & Kibbee pipeline project will improve service reliability to Suburban’s customers in the neighborhood. The existing pipeline was installed in 1955, and a history of recurring leaks indicates that it is reaching the end of its useful life. These breaks often require lengthy shutdowns to make repairs that interrupt customer service. The new pipeline will be made from PVC, characterized by its high quality, robustness, and longevity.
In addition to replacing pipes, service lines, valves, and hydrants, this project will connect dead-end pipes on Citrustree Rd., near Santa Gertrudes Ave., improving service reliability and water quality to Leffingwell Elementary School and St. Bruno’s Catholic Church and School. Work on this area was performed at night to avoid water disruption to the schools during the day.
The new larger diameter pipelines will improve the flow of water available at the fire hydrants for firefighting, and an additional fire hydrant will be added on Portada Dr. to improve firefighters’ access to water for protecting houses in the middle of the street.
Suburban’s contractor, inspectors, operations, and water quality teams are dedicated to completing this project to the highest quality and on schedule. This project is part of Suburban’s ongoing commitment to improve its water system and provide safe and reliable water to the community. We appreciate our customers’ patience and cooperation during the construction of this critical project.
The contractor installing the PVC waterline on Dittmar Dr.
The contractor compacting the trench backfill after the waterline was installed.
The contractor constructing the tie-in connection to the existing waterline near Citrustree Rd.
