Project Description

Working in collaboration with project architect vonRaesfeld Associates, Brelje & Race provided civil site design for the development of a 20,000-case winery with a tasting room and cider house. The completed winery development consists of both new construction and adaptive reuse of existing structures on a historic former apple farm.

Brelje & Race prepared preliminary design documents necessary for a use permit application for the winery and cider house and supporting structures, as well as a new tasting room. Upon approval of the use permit, Brelje & Race prepared plans and specifications for all grading, paving, off-site improvements, water & wastewater facilities and site drainage. Potable water improvements included retrofitting the existing well, as well as facilities for treatment for iron and manganese, storage, and distribution. Wastewater facilities included process wastewater and domestic wastewater collection, and process wastewater treatment and disposal (domestic wastewater is treated and disposed of in an existing system). Brelje & Race also prepared applications for the Public Water Supply permit and for a waiver of waste discharge requirements from the RWQCB.

Project Challenges

• With low anticipated process wastewater flows and minimal staff capacity to monitor, limited options were available for process wastewater treatment.
• A last-minute change eliminated chlorine as an option for water treatment.
• The project required extensive permitting from county and state agencies.

Solutions/Successes

• The selected wastewater treatment system combined several types of relatively low-tech and low-maintenance equipment for a robust treatment train.
• The treatment equipment was redesigned to use aeration for oxidation of iron and manganese, a water softener for polishing, and ozone for disinfection, eliminating the need for chlorine.
• Brelje & Race facilitated applications with several relevant agencies to obtain all of the necessary permits for the project.