Published November 8, 2026
NEWPORT BEACH | CITY HALL WATCH | NOVEMBER 8, 2026
You turn on the faucet in Balboa and water comes out. Nobody thinks about why. Here’s why, and why City Hall just spent $3.7 million on it.
Where it comes from
If your bill says City of Newport Beach, most of your water comes from under your feet. The city’s 2025 Urban Water Management Plan puts the mix at about 82% groundwater from the Orange County basin, 4% recycled and 14% imported. Pumped from wells, stored in reservoirs and pushed uphill when it needs to go up.
The city’s system has about 300 miles of pipe, four groundwater wells, five pump stations, 43 pressure-regulating stations and three reservoirs across five pressure zones. The big one is Big Canyon Reservoir, which holds nearly 200 million gallons.
The tired pumps
On Oct. 27, the council hired R.I.C. Construction of Hesperia for $3,694,183 to upgrade the Zone 3 and Zone 4 pump stations at Big Canyon and the electrical gear at the Hillsborough pump station off Spyglass Hill. The work includes structural fixes to the pump enclosures, new electrical equipment, a new diesel backup generator for Zone 4 and a hookup for a portable generator at Hillsborough. That last bit matters: Hillsborough is the backup for Zones 4 and 5, the higher neighborhoods.
Here’s a rare thing: the bid came in 8% under the engineer’s $4,015,000 estimate, mostly thanks to cheaper electrical equipment. City Hall under budget. Somebody frame it.
The council added a $560,000 contingency, about 15%, for surprises. Work starts in January with 310 working days to finish. The money comes from the water capital fund, which is paid for by water rates. So, you.
The water’s fine. The pumps are getting a tune-up. And when the power goes out up the hill, the taps should keep running.
Sources
- Staff report: Zone 3 and 4 Pump Station Upgrades, Contract No. 8893-2, Oct. 27, 2026
- From City Hall to You, Nov. 6, 2026 (system stats)
- 2025 Urban Water Management Plan
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