Construction crews convert an open canal to buried pipeline while Oakley roadway is widened.
Contra Costa County, California, August 24, 2025
The Contra Costa Water District is advancing a major canal replacement program to convert roughly 20 miles of its main open canal into buried pipeline, part of a broader effort to reduce water loss, improve safety and boost drinking water quality. The work is tied to an Oakley road‑widening project that requires burying the canal under a new roadway; the district will reimburse the city $2.2 million for the pipe under the road. The program affects service for more than half a million residents, includes reservoir and reuse targets, and is linked to a senior engineering leadership recruitment.
The local water district is moving forward with a major project to replace a section of its aging canal system at a cost of $1 billion. The program will convert open canal segments to pipeline and is tied to local roadwork in Oakley that must cross the canal. The work affects water service for a large portion of central and eastern Contra Costa County, where the district serves roughly 560,000 people across many cities and communities.
The canal replacement program focuses on roughly 20 miles of an approximately 48‑mile main canal. The district has completed early phases, replacing about four miles to date, and plans to convert remaining reaches to buried pipeline to cut water loss, boost safety, and improve drinking water quality. The new approach favors a flexible, ductile pipe designed to move in earthquakes.
On water supply, the district draws water from the Central Valley Project and stores water in its own facility, Los Vaqueros Reservoir. Current supply indicators reported at a recent meeting show Lake Shasta near 94% full and Los Vaqueros near 93% full. The district delivers roughly half its supply as treated water and half as raw water, and currently recycles about 10% of supply with a goal to increase reuse to 15%.
The district said it will try to keep customer rates as low as possible while covering rising costs. From 2020 to 2024, energy costs were the largest increase, followed by medical benefits and pension and other post‑employment benefit liabilities. The district runs a roughly $200 million annual budget and notes personnel and benefits are a major portion of expenses. An AAA bond rating helps keep borrowing costs down.
A stretch of East Cypress Road in eastern Oakley will be widened, but the work required moving the canal out of the footprint. City leaders approved a design and construction agreement with the water district to replace the canal segment under the roadway with a buried pipeline. The district will reimburse the city $2.2 million for the underground pipe work. The first phase will build a new 2,200‑foot stretch of road north of the old one and convert the old alignment to a frontage road. The initial construction cost for that stretch is estimated at about $10 million, with the work slated to start soon and expected to finish within about a year, barring delays.
The road widening will create a new multi‑lane corridor with bicycle lanes, sidewalks, lights and storm drainage. The city is pursuing other funding for additional widening and a longer connector to provide an alternate emergency route out of the area. Multiple property owners, developers and agencies are involved, and city staff describe the work as complex because of utility crossings and the need to cut across the canal.
The canal replacement program began in 2009, and the district sees pipeline replacement as a way to reduce water loss, improve safety, and simplify operations during power outages or emergencies. The district also reviewed a major expansion of Los Vaqueros Reservoir but found the project would have required long offline periods, rising costs and uncertain outside supply commitments, making that approach unviable at this time.
The district is recruiting an Assistant General Manager for Engineering & Construction who will serve as Chief Engineer and report to the General Manager. The role oversees a team of 38 staff and is positioned as a rare chance to lead the Main Canal Replacement Program and other major capital projects in a 10‑year capital improvement plan.
Required qualifications include a bachelor’s‑level engineering education (or equivalent) and about 10 years of growing administrative experience in a municipality or special district, with at least 5 years of senior management responsibility. Registration as a California Professional Civil Engineer and experience managing large capital programs are highly desirable. Salary goes up to $305,240 DOQE, with a competitive benefits package. Interested candidates are directed to the recruiting firm’s website to apply by Sunday, September 21, 2025. Contact details for the recruitment are provided on the application page, including two recruitment professionals reachable by phone.
The district emphasized emergency readiness, noting steps taken to fill tanks when major power outages occur and to screen intakes to protect fish. Staff also track water conservation trends: overall use has fallen over the past 17 years even as population grew, and the district points to significant conservation during drought years.
The Canal Replacement Program, Oakley road project and the Assistant GM hire are linked to broader goals: securing reliable water, keeping costs manageable, and enabling local growth and safety improvements. The work will require coordination across cities, county agencies, developers and the water district.
The program replaces sections of the main canal with buried pipeline to reduce losses and improve water quality. The current project phase covering about 20 miles is estimated at $1 billion.
The work affects customers across central and eastern Contra Costa County served by the district, roughly 500,000–560,000 people depending on counting methods. Projects in Oakley will affect local traffic during construction and aim to improve emergency access.
The planned widening crosses the canal’s footprint, and burying the canal with a pipeline allows the roadway to be reconstructed with required lanes, bike paths and drainage while improving water quality and safety.
The city will use traffic impact fee funds from developers for roadway work and will receive $2.2 million from the water district to cover the cost of the buried pipe under the road. Additional segments may rely on other funding sources.
The district manages storage and supply through federal project water and its own reservoir, uses recycled water (target rising from 10% to 15%) and plans infrastructure changes to reduce loss and improve reliability during emergencies.
Applications are handled by the recruiting firm online. The closing date is September 21, 2025. Full job details, recruitment brochure and contact numbers are available on the recruiter’s website.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Canal replacement cost | $1 billion for the current program phase |
| Canal length affected | About 20 miles of the main 48‑mile canal |
| Population served | Roughly 500,000–560,000 people across central and eastern Contra Costa County |
| Assistant GM position | Chief Engineer role overseeing 38 staff; 10 years relevant experience preferred; closing date Sept 21, 2025 |
| Assistant GM salary | Up to $305,240 DOQE plus benefits |
| Oakley reimbursement | $2.2 million from the water district to the city for pipeline under the roadway |
| Oakley road cost (phase 1) | Estimated $10 million for the initial reconstructed segment |
| Reservoir status | Lake Shasta ~94% full; Los Vaqueros ~93% full |
| Recycled water target | Increase from 10% to 15% of supply |
| Annual budget | About $200 million; personnel and benefits are a major cost |
| Bond rating | AAA, which helps reduce interest costs |
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