As part of the 2018 LRDP Update at UC San Diego, Latitude 33 was retained by the University to study the increased utility demands the school would generate based on the increased densification of construction on the horizon year. These utility studies gave recommendations to the University for potential utility projects that would allow for the continued progress of the School’s Capital Improvement Program unhindered. One early deficiency found during the preliminary phase of the reports was the 18” City of San Diego sewer main that serviced the West and East campus, just south of La Jolla Village Drive and east of Gilman Drive. This main was found to be surcharged in its current condition, meaning there was no available capacity for increased growth on the UC San Diego campus.
In the first phase of this project, Latitude 33 was hired by the University to quickly study potential solutions to this problem and recommend a solution that would expedite the capacity issue allowing for UC San Diego to generate capacity within its own system. Based on the alignment, grade, and public right of way, a creative solution was found: a drilled 21” sewer main within the UC San Diego campus along its southern border, to tie into a new 24” City of San Diego sewer main within Gilman Drive just south of La Jolla Village Drive. Based on current construction timelines of projects under construction or in planning on campus, this new sewer would need to be built within a year and a half to ensure that the existing City of San Diego sewer main would not fail.
During Phase 2, Latitude 33 was retained by UC San Diego to generate private and public improvement plans for the construction of both the tunneled portion of 21” sewer and the public 24” sewer within Gilman Drive. The project used creative utility design to minimize existing environmental impacts on the UC San Diego campus, minimizing CEQA mitigations, and invoking thoughtful design within the public right of way to limit impacts to existing traffic among Gilman Drive. Public portions of the project were processed through the City of San Diego Development Services, and private portions were permitted through UC San Diego. The project was constructed in two phases, phase one consisting of the micro-tunneled portion of the project, and phase two consisting of the traditionally trenched portion. The entire project was permitted and constructed in less than 1 ½ years to meet the timeline as set at the beginning of the project.
- Location: La Jolla, CA
- Client/Team: UC San Diego