The RESCU Program

The RESCU Program describes eleven projects which constitute full replacement and rehabilitation of SVCW’s conveyance system. RESCU includes the Gravity Pipeline, Front of Plant, Pump Stations, and Belmont Force Main projects. The Front of Plant includes six of the eleven projects. The Conveyance System Improvements Environmental Impact Report completed and adopted by the SVCW Commission in April 2017 covers work to be done under all the RESCU Program projects.

RESCU and its subsidiary projects are all considered ‘Essential Infrastructure’ and continue to make progress. During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, our construction crews continue to operate with additional safety measures in place to keep them safe and healthy. Every day, our crew members are checked for COVID-19 symptoms, including temperature, prior to entering a worksite.  The crews practice social distancing, frequent hand washing, and wear face coverings. We also disinfect commonly used areas daily to prevent the spread of the virus. Safety is our top priority, and operating during this pandemic doesn’t change that priority. 

December 2020 Update

The final product of the RESCU Program will be a single, operational wastewater conveyance system. During construction, the different component projects (Front of Plant, Gravity Pipeline and Pump Stations Improvements) must coordinate at the points of connection. One such point is the Surge-Flow Splitter (SFS) Shaft, which is in contact with the Receiving Lift Station (RLS) shaft at the Headworks Facility. The SFS shaft will be used to retrieve the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) at the completion of the second tunneling drive. After the TBM is removed, the SFS shaft will be converted to its permanent function, providing safe management of raw wastewater flows as they enter the RLS. The arrival of the TBM at the SFS shaft will occur while Shea Parsons Joint Venture is working on other elements of the Front of Plant project. Close coordination is ongoing between the Gravity Pipeline and Front of Plant teams regarding the TBM break-in at the SFS shaft. With continuous communication between the two design-build teams and SVCW, the TBM break-in activity will be completed safely and on schedule.

Front of Plant

Gravity Pipeline

Pump Stations

Teresa Herrera, SVCW Manager

RESCU Blurb

An update by Teresa Herrera, SVCW Manager
January 2021

Beginning a new year brings an opportunity to look back and review accomplishments made and lessons learned. In terms of the RESCU program, Silicon Valley Clean Water began its conveyance system infrastructure upgrade program in 2009 with its master planning efforts. Completion of the program is expected in 2023; totaling a 14-year endeavor. Once completed, the infrastructure will serve the community for generations. In the realm of infrastructure projects such as RESCU, 14 years of planning, design, construction, and startup is actually quite quick. When working with linear projects, it’s even more rare to get programs of this size and complexity completed within this timeframe.

RESCU is a highly successful and well managed program and is being recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the CA State Water Resources Control Board. Both these agencies have extended low-cost financing to SVCW and, by participating in these low cost government loans, SVCW is able to save its ratepayers significant amounts of money.

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