The Borrego Water District Operations and Infrastructure Committee reviewed a draft master list of Operations Department activities and in-house capital projects planned for FY 2026-27, including SCADA monitoring, valve turning, hydrant maintenance, backflow prevention, well and tank maintenance, and AMI battery/transmission work. The list also includes small capital upgrades such as shade canopies and electric panel shade structures at wells and booster stations, building upgrades at Well 11 and multiple booster stations, vehicle/equipment storage planning, and office generator and sidewalk/path improvements. No outside vendors have been selected yet; the list is being finalized over the next one to two weeks and will be used by Interim Operations Manager Manny Marin to prioritize work and allocate workforce, with three days per week targeted for these tasks. This is a planning-stage signal that BWD may need external support, equipment, or specialty contractors for items such as shade structures, booster station upgrades, AMI components, and office generator and site improvements. Vendors in water utility construction, electrical, instrumentation/SCADA, AMI hardware, and maintenance services can position themselves now as partners to either supplement in-house crews or provide materials and specialized services.The committee will revise the list as needed and then share it with the full Board, with fiscal impact still to be determined, indicating that budget refinement and potential purchasing decisions are upcoming. Given the breadth of identified tasks—from 650 distribution valves and 450 hydrants to building and electrical upgrades—there is a reasonable likelihood that some activities will exceed in-house capacity or require outside expertise and materials. A practical next conversation is to understand which specific FY 26-27 items BWD expects to bid out or buy materials for, and what timelines Manny and the General Manager anticipate for those procurements once the Board reviews the list.

The list will form the basis of monthly Board reports including before/after photos, suggesting a structured tracking process that vendors may need to align with for reporting and documentation.