The Parker Pump Station Replacement Project has been a major infrastructure initiative to update and replace the pump station at Eighth Street and Coronado Avenue. Park Pump Station is an integral part of the City’s stormwater system, the largest of 20 pump stations throughout the City that together manage Coronado’s sanitary sewer flows. Leon Firsht (Director of Public Services and Engineering), Jim Newton (Assistant Director and City Engineering), and Katie Odiorne (Senior Engineering) are providing some further information on the background of the project and looking ahead to its expected completion this year.
“The project was first included in the City’s Capital Improvement Program in Fiscal Year 2016–2017 as a rehabilitation of the existing pump station,” they explained. “The original scope included replacing components of the station and installing a permanent generator for backup and emergency power.”
Before the City moved forward with creating and approving designs for the project, however, there was a question of whether the City would be better off restoring the existing structure or removing and fully replacing it with new infrastructure.
“Deterioration was observed in portions of the interior concrete walls [of the original structure]. The City retained consultants to assess the condition of the facility and determine whether full replacement was the better long-term solution,” they commented. “As part of this evaluation, the consultant also reviewed options to convert or replace the station to allow for the use of submersible-style pumps.” (Submersible-style pumps are a type of centrifugal pump that is fully submerged within water that moves the fluid from one area to the next.)
“Ultimately, the assessment concluded that complete replacement of the station represented the best value for the City,” they continued. “From there, the City continued working with consultants to design the new facility, including design review, approvals, and coordination with multiple outside agencies such as SDG&E, AT&T, the Regional Water Quality Control Board, and the United States Navy.”
Work on the pump station site began in January of 2023 and has faced some challenges since then. “Construction of the project was underway in January 2024 when Coronado and the surrounding region experienced a significant storm event that resulted in widespread flooding,” they mentioned of one of the major construction delays. “Portions of the City’s storm drain, and sewer infrastructure were overwhelmed. The existing Parker Pump Station site was flooded, including the interior of the station, rendering it temporarily non-operational and requiring significant repairs before service could be restored.”
The flooding in 2024 also affected the site for the new replacement pump station, and they had to do additional work in that area to restore safe conditions for continued construction. But regardless of the size of the storms the City has experienced over the course of the work on the pump station site, City staff prepare for such complications with every construction project and have been routinely monitoring the active work area and ensuring the project continues to move forward as planned.
Other challenges typical of large construction projects have been handled by the team over the past few years. They listed a few of those, which included “Unanticipated site conditions, design discrepancies, and delays in the procurement of construction materials.”
“In each case, the City’s project team, including City staff, consultants, and contractor and subcontractor personnel, worked collaboratively to address issues and keep the project moving forward with the shared goal of delivering a high-quality, reliable facility for the community,” they told me of tackling those issues.
With work on the new parker Pump Station anticipated to be completed by June of this year, the Public Services and Engineering team are looking forward to the ways in which it will benefit the community, even if they may not be very visible to the public. “It is a critical component of the City’s sewer and stormwater infrastructure. Sewer service will continue to function for Country Club residents and the storm drain system will continue to capture and convey stormwater runoff as designed,” they said.
“However, the new station will provide increased storage capacity for both sewer and storm flows, improved accessibility for city staff to monitor and maintain the facility, and enhanced reliability,” they added. “The station also includes a permanent emergency generator that can automatically power the facility during a power outage. One of the most visible public benefits of the project will be the creation of a new green space at the location of the existing station, which will include landscaping and seating areas for public use. Overall, the project will provide the city with a modern, more reliable pump station designed to serve the community for decades.”
The creation of new green space in that neighborhood wasn’t initially part of the City’s project plans, but the team has been pleased to develop it. “Initially, the design called for the existing station to be replaced in its current location. During the design phase, the property immediately south of the station became available for purchase. The City Council authorized acquisition of the property, allowing the new station to be constructed there while the existing station remained operational,” they explained. “This approach simplified construction and ultimately made it possible to repurpose the original station site into a new green space for the community to enjoy.”
While the replacement began as a stand-alone project due to the state of the pump station, grant funding that has been made available to the City for use on stormwater infrastructure has allowed the team to further consider designs for additional improvements to the pipe network connected to Parker Pump Station.
“More broadly, the city prepares a Capital Improvement Program each fiscal year that includes improvements to a wide range of city facilities and infrastructure,” they mentioned. “The Parker Pump Station Replacement is included in that program, along with other sewer and storm drain projects such as proposed improvements to the Bandel and Coronado Cays pump stations.”
In the immediate future, the City is continuing to set their sights on reaching the finish line with the new Parker Pump Station within the next few months. For more information on this project, please visit https://www.projectcoronado.org/parker-pump-station.
VOL. 116, NO. 5 – Feb. 4, 2026