Consider the Pumphouse

By Matt O'Donnell

They say a double play is a pitcher’s best friend in baseball.

At Caltrans, a pumphouse can be a maintenance worker’s best friend, especially during storm season. The 2023 storm season in Northern California featured a number of atmospheric rivers, but maintenance workers turned the equivalent of double or triple plays on an everyday basis.

The Stoney Point Pumphouse, located on a State Route 12 on-ramp in Sonoma County, may look unassuming, but the structure is critical to maintenance keeping the highways clear of water. The automatic, computerized system measures groundwater and stormwater.

The Caltrans Maintenance Department has several individuals who are experts on pumphouses throughout District 4. Bridge Crew Supervisor Vicente Perez and Area Superintendent John O’Neill are two of those in the North Bay.

O’Neill has served Caltrans for 36 years and Perez for 17 years. In baseball terms, the two are Caltrans’ version of Tigers shortstop Lou Whitaker and second baseman Alan Trammell – they make it look easy.

Perez and O’Neill said the pumphouse will siphon about 450 gallons of water per minute.

“If we have a really heavy winter, the pumps will be running a lot more,” O’Neill said during a warm afternoon in May. “If we have a mild winter, the stormwater pumps won’t be running as much, but the groundwater pumps will run year-around.”

Pumphouses on California highways are used to house equipment that helps pump water from areas of the roadway to higher areas, where it can drain away from the road. The pumphouse contains pumps, motors and other equipment that are necessary for the operation of the pumping system.

When there is heavy rain or flooding, water can accumulate on the roadway, creating hazards for drivers and potentially damaging the road. The pumphouse helps to prevent this by pumping the water away from the roadway and into drainage areas or other areas where it can be safely dispersed.

The pumping system may be activated automatically by sensors that detect the presence of water on the roadway, or it may be manually operated by maintenance personnel.

There are three pumphouses in the entire North Bay – this one on SR-12, another in Napa County on SR-29 and one more in Dixon near Interstate-80 and SR-113.

Perez and O’Neill said if PG&E power is on in the area, the pumphouse operates well. If they lose power, maintenance must obtain a generator from an outside source.

There are lights outside the pumphouse that maintenance keeps a close eye on all the time. The green light indicates that there is power in the pumphouse, and a yellow light turns on when the pumps are activated. When the light turns red or there is no light, that indicates there is no power.

After the water is pumped, it eventually filters into a creek in the area, O’Neill said.

Caltrans has a maintenance station close by off SR-12, and someone drives by frequently to make sure the lights are operating as they should be.

“One of the workers lives not even a half-mile from here, so he sees it twice a day,” Perez said. “He sees it coming into work and then going home. Then we have other guys going to Sebastopol, and they pay attention and look too.”

Caltrans’ maintenance usually work in 12-hour shifts during heavy rains to respond to road conditions as quickly as possible. 

Perez and O’Neill said their shifts generally meant clocking in at 8 a.m. and clocking out at 8 p.m. They often were on call for 24 hours, just like the pumphouses.

How long do they have to maintain that schedule?

“It depends on Mother Nature,” O’Neill said. “When she slows down and stops raining, then we’ll take a break.”

O’Neill said Caltrans’ Headquarters in Sacramento sends inspectors to the pumphouses during the summer to do a “wellness check” to see if anything needs to be addressed.

This pumphouse in Santa Rosa has been in the area since the late 1980’s/early 1990’s, according to documents.

“This one has done a very good job,” O’Neill said. “When the pumps get tired, maybe it’s time to replace them, but this one has done what is needed.”

During storms, Caltrans encourages drivers to only use the roadways for essential travel. Residents across California can stay ahead of potential flooding on roadways by checking out Caltrans QuickMap: http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/