Skylight Replacement For Spring Valley Pump Station

The Otay Water District's Pump Station in Otay Mesa was due for replacement in 2020. The pump station is required by the local government to meet the demands of a 20-year period in both normal and dry years, so our challenge was to help replace the pump station skylights to meet the requirements of the local Otay Mesa and California state regulations.

Since California faces drought on a routine basis, water districts face near-constant challenges to meet the demand of a large state. This means that pump stations need to be well equipped with reliable materials, and able to work within regulations set forth by such governing bodies. 

According to the Otay Water District’s website, "replacement of aging infrastructure ... ... is critical to maintaining the district's systems. Pump station replacement is standard maintenance that preserves the quality and safety of your water supply by maintaining the integrity and reliability of the pump stations."

In order to replace the skylights and roofing for this project, we chose a Kalwall Skyroof system. Composed of a lightweight aluminum frame with translucent panels for optimal full spectrum daylighting,  this system diffuses daylight no matter the position of the sun using a technique called Lambertian Diffusion. This enables Kalwall panels to be used solely, in place of other costly lighting control measures such as shades in addition to transparent windows. 

Since Skyroofs by Kalwall are modular, the installation was fast and easy, allowing for fewer personnel hours and an easier process overall. The Kalwall system is one third the weight of a similarly sized glass system, allowing engineers to plan for a lighter load and minimal transportation costs.