Water Services
West Yost’s Water Business Sector combines diverse experiences and perspectives to assist our clients throughout the utility planning process. Our services encompass planning, modeling, and regulatory support for a range of water-related utilities, including recycled water, drinking water, and wastewater. Our team excels in master planning and is often managing multiple plans concurrently. Our team also provides comprehensive services for drinking water, addressing everything from Urban Water Management Plans to surge and transient evaluations.
As the importance of recycled water in water conservation continues to grow, West Yost is actively engaged in finding innovative ways to maximize its use. Our teams introduce innovative technology and tools to assess internal plumbing, cross-connection control, system conversion, and complete testing. We assist our clients with Title 22 recycled water treatment, recycled water use planning studies, and the establishment of funding sources, including grants.
Our collection systems team specializes in planning, flow monitoring, and hydraulic modeling for collection systems and combined sewer/stormwater systems. They collaborate with utilities to fulfill their regulatory requirements for sewer system management plan updates and valuable recommendations to help municipalities manage their growth effectively.
Project Highlights
Water Facilities Master Plan and 30 Water Modeling Projects
Eastern Municipal Water District
West Yost completed the District’s 2015 Water Facilities Master Plan. The District anticipates significant future growth, projecting a three-fold increase in demand. To meet the District’s rapid buildout requirements, West Yost is providing on-call hydraulic modeling support with over 30 different projects completed to date.
Recycled Water and Alternative Water Supply Planning
Stanford University
West Yost has advised Stanford on recycled water use opportunities on campus since 2010. As part of our work for the university, West Yost prepared a recycled water white paper that outlines potential campus-related recycled water uses, recycled water regulations, permitting issues, and water quality.
Recycled Water Support Services
City of Oceanside
Our team is assisting the City of Oceanside with recycled water projects, including retrofit plans, plan review, inspections, annual inspections, and shutdown testing services. As part of this effort, our team will prepare site conversion evaluation reports for 68 sites (300 meters). The City’s customers who recently converted to recycled water include the Goat Hill Golf Course and the El Corazon Sport Complex (18 soccer fields). As the City’s representative, our staff coordinates with the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health, the State Water Resources Control Board, and customers.
Water Master Plan and SCADA Master Plan
City of Garden Grove
West Yost recently completed the City of Garden Grove’s Water System Master Plan Update. The City, located in north central Orange County, has an 18-square-mile service area and is close to being built out. The principal challenges facing the City include aging infrastructure and capacity issues associated with older small-diameter mains. West Yost updated the distribution system hydraulic model, planned and completed a field program to collect hydrant flow test data, calibrated the model pipeline roughness values using the field data, and verified the model comparing model operations to SCADA data.
Water Master Plan Update and Collection System Master Plan Update
City of Stockton
West Yost is preparing an update to the City’s Water and Collection System Master Plans. These efforts will provide an evaluation of water system and collection system infrastructure needs. The master plans will support buildout identified in the recently updated Envision Stockton 2040 General Plan with an updated capital improvement plan. After collaborating with the City to confirm project goals, priorities, and strategies a number of tasks are planned.
Team Spotlight
Rachel Lanigan, PE
Water Business Sector Leader
Rachel Lanigan, PE
Water Business Sector Leader
Rachel Lanigan assists clients with decision-making and capital planning, having completed 15 water master plans and numerous planning studies across Washington, Oregon, and California. She specializes in integrating resilience into long-term planning, solving hydraulic issues, and demonstrating the benefits of utility investment. Rachel is skilled at communicating complex issues, honed through presentations at various meetings and conferences.
Elizabeth Drayer, PE
Chief Engineer
Elizabeth Drayer, PE
Chief Engineer
Brenda Estrada, PE
Engineering Manager
Brenda Estrada is an experienced water resource planning engineer with a focus on facilities planning and hydraulic modeling of distribution systems. She has prepared numerous water master plans for small and large water agencies, including demand projections, supply capacity analyses, and water quality evaluations.
Amy Kwong, PE
Principal Engineer II
Amy Kwong, PE
Principal Engineer II
“I enjoy working collaboratively with our clients to develop solutions to water supply and distribution challenges.
I’m proud of supporting the City of Tracy with water master planning and hydraulic modeling services for the past ten years starting with the 2012 Citywide Water System Master Plan project, which began in 2009. It’s been rewarding to see how our planning efforts using the City’s water system hydraulic model have successfully guided development in new pressure zones. Our current work on the 2020 Citywide Water System Master Plan Update will help guide the City’s water system improvements for years to come.”
