News

WRECO Assists Caltrans with New NPDES Construction General Permit
August 2010

WRECO is currently assisting Caltrans District 4 to transition their current construction contracts into compliance with the new National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Construction General Permit (CGP). WRECO is doing this for projects such as the Caldecott Tunnel 4th Bore, Doyle Drive and Devil's Slide as part of the Caltrans District 4 Water Quality Studies and Technical On-call Services Contract. WRECO is providing risk assessments for each project, which include sediment and receiving water body risk factors. In order to comply with the new CGP requirements, WRECO is preparing construction change orders to address the necessary measures, i.e. additional monitoring, as appropriate.

Construction has begun on State Route 4 Widening Project
July 2010

Ground has been broken on the State Route 4 Widening Project, which will increase SR 4 from four lanes to eight lanes between Loveridge Road and Somersville Road in the City of Pittsburg, CA. WRECO is working with URS Corporation to provide construction support and perform design work for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).

WRECO worked on the PA/ED and design phases of the Storm Water Data Report and designed a water quality detention basin to treat approximately 12 acres of impervious area. WRECO also worked with Contra Costa Transportation Authority and Caltrans to secure the Clean Water Act Section 401 Water Quality Certification from the Regional Water Quality Control Board for this project.

Rheem Creek Restoration Project Nears Completion
June 2010

Channel grading and lining and vegetation planting have been completed for the Rheem Creek restoration project in the City of San Pablo. This project is adjacent to the future Wanlass Park, which is currently under construction. A bridge over Rheem Creek will provide access to the park.

Rheem Creek was a grouted riprap flood channel. The restored creek channel will have larger cross-sections with a floodplain terrace for a segment of the creek. Grading was performed to create a larger channel capacity, and erosion control fabric lining was placed to stabilize the banks until the vegetation grows. In areas of rapid flow, quarter-ton stone was placed.

For this restoration project, WRECO performed hydrologic and hydraulic analyses and creek restoration construction plans. WRECO has also been providing construction support since construction began in fall 2009.

Palermo-Colgate-Rio Oso 230kV Transmission Line Project
May 2010

In order to maintain service reliability, meet increasing electric load demands, and allow for the development of renewable resources in the Sacramento Valley, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is replacing the wires on its existing Palermo-Colgate-Rio Oso 230kV tower line. This project spans over 54 miles within the counties of Butte, Sutter and Yuba, passing through many different types of terrain such as foothills, farmland, grassland and wetlands.

WRECO is working with Garcia and Associates to provide construction monitoring services for this project, most specifically to protect the Giant Garter Snake (GGS), a federally-threatened species that resides in wetlands, irrigation ditches and rice fields. WRECO staff are currently conducting construction inspections to identify snake species at the construction sites, which are then logged into daily reports. WRECO also participated in Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) inspections for this project.

WRECO Begins In-House Culvert Inspection Services
April 2010

WRECO expands their capabilities with the addition of a remote-operated IBAK camera tractor (with MuniXS survey software) that has the ability to maneuver into culverts as small as 8"/200 mm. With this tool, WRECO now has the enhanced resources to inspect culverts and pipes that will provide live feeds for Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) evaluations.

CCTV will allow WRECO to quickly respond to its clients' needs in addressing and assessing aging infrastructure. This in-house capacity to provide culvert inspections offers CCTV services to our clients, while reducing project cost by eliminating the need for third party inspection services.

WRECO is currently putting this into practice as part of the Interstate 580 project near the City of Livermore, where WRECO is evaluating 35 culverts for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). First, video of each culvert is taken, checking the pipe's condition for gaps at the joints, structural failure, root intrusion, and other problems, as well as taking measurements. Then, WRECO evaluates the data and provides recommendations on suitable rehabilitation methods or replacement of the culverts.

WRECO looks forward to serving its existing and future clients with this cutting edge technology, meeting all of their video inspection needs.

Sweet Ranch Mitigation Wetland Soon to be Constructed
March 2010

Construction of the Sweet Ranch wetland in the City of Livermore is expected to begin before June of this year. This is one of the largest wetland creation projects that WRECO has worked on thus far, spanning 3.8 acres. One particular challenge was creating a wetland that would hold water in an area with soil known to contain sand. WRECO completed the preliminary design and preliminary construction Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) for the project.

WRECO Uses Non-standard Drainage Design
December 2009

WRECO overcame environmental challenges using non-standard drainage systems during the drainage design for the State Route 12 Jameson Canyon Road Widening Project. Challenges included meeting 100 percent treatment within an environmentally sensitive corridor and maximizing hydromodification mitigation. The drainage design cost was $3.4M for the Napa segment and $3.6M for the Solano segment, with a total construction cost of $105M.

WRECO's Oakland Office Becomes a Green Business
October 2009

The WRECO Oakland office obtained its Bay Area Green Business certification in November. Meeting the requirements was an expansion of what the Oakland staff were already doing, such as taking public transportation and using recycled content paper. Some of the requirements included using energy efficient equipment, putting low-flow aerators in the kitchen and bathroom sinks, and installing light sensors. WRECO is committed to green business practices, and the Oakland staff have created other ways to keep the business green such as making scratch paper pads and having a designated reuse zone for folders and binder clips.

Recognizing - Environmental Values At Work
April 2009

WRECO attended this year's Contra Costa Green Business Program Recognition Ceremony held at the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors in Martinez, California. It was a pleasure to meet our fellow Contra Costa County green businesses and properly applaud the program and its members for all of their efforts and achievements. WRECO is honored to be involved with such a great group of environmentally friendly contributors. Mary N. Piepho, District 3 Supervisor, can be seen in the above photo, along with WRECO's president, Dr. Han-Bin Liang.

WRECO Maintains a Strong Presence in the field of Stormwater BMPs
November 2008

As part of the Brown and Caldwell Team, WRECO will perform as needed technical and professional services on a three-year Caltrans Headquarters (District 43) Stormwater Statewide Design Training Manuals contract. We look forward to contributing to the upcoming task order assignments.

WRECO's Walnut Creek Office is now Green Business Certified!
November 2008

WRECO, a leading provider of hydrology/hydraulic engineering, water resources and coastal engineering, is now a certified Green Business in Contra Costa County.

WRECO employees pledge their commitment to maintain our goal of incorporating green practices into our everyday efforts, always keeping the future in mind. Some of the adjustments to our operations include: using recycled paper products, conserving energy by using efficient lighting/heating/AC practices, and integrating other environmentally friendly products into our daily routine. WRECO would like to thank Ms. Robin Bedell-Waite and Ms. Claudia Pingatore, of the Contra Costa County Green Business Program for their continued guidance on green business practices.

California Stormwater Quality Association (CASQA) 2008 4th Annual Conference, Marriot City Center Hotel, Oakland, CA
September 2008

WRECO participated in this year's CASQA Conference as an exhibitor, displaying our booth for over 500 attendees, including vendors and speakers. Our senior staff also attended various workshops and track sessions throughout the three-day conference. The event was a great success that allowed WRECO to highlight some of our proudest moments in water resources engineering.

Dr. Han-Bin Liang wins the 2008 CAEPA "Outstanding Member"
March 2008

Our president, Dr. Han-Bin Liang, recently won the 2008 award for the Chinese American Environmental Professional's Association (CAEPA) "Outstanding Member" due to his strong, consistent support for the organization. CAEPA is a San Francisco Bay Area-based nonprofit organization comprising professionals, educators, and others who are concerned about improving the environment.

Dr. Han-Bin Liang has been a CAEPA member for more than a decade and has served on the CAEPA board for 6 years. He has committed to long-term support for the CAEPA scholarship program as well as CAEPA operations generally. He was a sponsor of the 2005 World Environmental Day exhibition and he promotes the CAEPA membership campaign. He was instrumental in the creation of the CAEPA web site, which is currently maintained by WRECO employees.

2D Hydrodynamic Modeling of Floodplains
January 2008

WRECO is using the FLO 2-D model to simulate flooding around San Luis Obispo Creek and Prefumo Creek in the City of San Luis Obispo. This work is being done for RRM Design.

WRECO and Caltrans District 4 Together Again
January 2008

WRECO was selected as the consultant for the Caltrans District 4 Professional Water Quality Studies and Technical Services Contract worth $5 million for a duration of three years. This new contract further strengthens WRECO's relationship with Caltrans District 4.