CARLSBAD — The Carlsbad City Council approved spending more than $3 million on citywide water system upgrades and other infrastructure projects.
The actions were approved as part of the Jan. 13 consent calendar, along with an additional item heard briefly during the meeting.
The project with the highest price tag involves resurfacing both the Elm and Skyline reservoirs. The council approved awarding the nearly $2.57 million contract to Simpson Sandblasting and Special Coatings, a Fontana-based company.
The reservoirs — two of the 11 owned and operated by the Carlsbad Municipal Water District — were originally built in 1972 and can each hold 1.5 million gallons of potable water, according to city documents. The two reservoirs were last coated in 2014.
In addition to the $2.57 million contract, the city set aside $514,000 for construction contingencies, along with an equal amount for related work, including inspection and testing, according to city documents. The project is expected to take 160 working days.
The council also approved spending nearly $350,000 to Fullerton-based CHI Construction, as part of ongoing efforts to repair or replace broken water valves throughout the city.
CHI Construction received a $3.8 million contract in October 2024 to address 87 valves at 26 locations, according to city documents. The new allocation adds two sites in the Barrio along Chestnut Avenue, expanding the project to a total of 94 valves — 64 replacements and 30 new valves.
Work is expected to be completed by March 26, 2026, according to city documents.
The City Council also approved spending up to $200,000 in 2026 with Heritage Pool Supply Group, based in McKinney, Texas. The city’s two pools require chemicals such as liquid chlorine, muriatic acid, sodium bicarbonate and sodium thiosulfate to meet local and state health and safety standards, according to city documents.
Another allocation of up to $200,000 was approved for True North Consulting Services, which has corporate offices in Carrollton, Texas. The consultants will perform the responsibilities of a building official while the position remains vacant within the city. Once the position is filled, the contract will no longer be necessary.
The council also adopted a resolution ratifying the proclamation of a storm-related local emergency to repair storm drain infrastructure in coastal bluffs near Carlsbad Boulevard and Solamar Drive. Following heavy rainfall around the new year, the city learned of a roughly 15-foot-deep sinkhole on Jan. 2, per city documents.
California State Parks owns the property along the bluffs, but the city holds a 10-foot-wide utility easement at a drainage site near where the sinkhole emerged, city officials said. The storm drain infrastructure in the area was originally constructed in the 1950s.
For emergencies such as this, the city can fast-track the bidding process through a less formal mechanism if the repair costs are less than $220,000. Estimates for the repair work range from $250,000 to $350,000, and the work requires council approval of a resolution authorizing the city manager to direct repairs using formal emergency construction procurement procedures.
The City Council also adopted an ordinance establishing the intersection of State Street and Laguna Drive as an “all-way” stop. The issue was first heard at a December 2025 meeting before being ratified Jan. 13.
The work is expected to cost $10,000 and includes adding “All-Way” signs at the stop signs, removing rapid-flashing beacons, and repainting the pavement.
Other construction projects
In addition to the projects approved as part of the $3 million package, several infrastructure improvements are scheduled to begin this year in the Barrio neighborhood, including pedestrian lighting upgrades, traffic safety improvements and replacement of aging water and sewer pipelines.
The first project slated to begin construction will install more than 100 new pedestrian lights along sidewalks throughout the Barrio. The lighting improvements are expected to be completed this fall.
City officials also anticipate starting construction this spring on traffic-calming measures and replacing aging water and sewer pipelines in the Barrio. The council will consider awarding a construction contract at its Jan. 27 meeting, with work potentially beginning later this spring.
Construction is also underway along Carlsbad Boulevard between Pine and Tamarack avenues to replace four aging beach access stairs and widen the sidewalk by 2.5 feet between Pine and Cherry avenues.
Built in the 1980s, the existing concrete stairs and sidewalk have deteriorated due to age and erosion, with exposed rebar in some areas, according to city documents.
The project will also replace streetlight poles and reinforce the coastal bluff. Construction is scheduled in two phases through spring 2027, and traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction during construction, with temporary sidewalk, stair and parking closures expected.
The work is separate from the Terramar staircase project, which is facing further review by the California Coastal Commission following a “substantial issue” finding earlier this year.
