Collier County Utilities Standards Manual – Technical Specifications and Design Criteria

This document is the Collier County Water-Sewer District Utilities Standards Manual, a comprehensive technical specification and design criteria guide governing all utilities construction projects within Collier County, Florida. The manual applies to potable water, non-potable irrigation water, wastewater collection and transmission systems, and associated infrastructure. The standards establish minimum design, construction, material, and testing requirements for new utilities extensions, County projects involving utilities, and systems that may be transferred to County ownership. The manual includes detailed design criteria for pipeline separation, sizing, valve locations, fire service systems, pump stations, electrical and control systems, testing procedures, and disinfection protocols. Key requirements address horizontal directional drilling specifications, subaqueous crossings, gravity and force main design, private and community pump station configurations, and comprehensive quality control and acceptance testing standards. The document mandates that all work conform to referenced standards including AWWA, ASTM, NFPA, and Florida Administrative Code requirements, with particular emphasis on watertight construction, minimum depth and clearance specifications, and protection of potable water quality through NSF Standard 61 compliance and rigorous bacteriological testing protocols.

The manual establishes comprehensive technical specifications across 40 divisions covering general requirements, existing conditions, concrete, metals, finishes, plumbing, electrical, earthwork, exterior improvements, and utilities. Contractors must maintain on-site quality control through testing laboratories, comply with NPDES stormwater requirements for projects exceeding one acre, provide complete operation and maintenance manuals, and submit signed and sealed record drawings by Florida licensed surveyors referenced to state plane coordinates and NAVD 88 datum. All materials must be new and meet NSF Standard 61 for potable water contact; pipe and fittings must be color-coded by system type (blue for potable water, white for raw water, purple for non-potable irrigation). The County assumes responsibility for initial inspection and testing costs, while contractors bear costs for all additional or remedial testing resulting from failed inspections. Record drawings must be submitted within 60 days of final construction completion in DWG and PDF formats, with detailed depiction of all inverts, slopes, elevations, valve locations, crossing information, and deviations from contract documents. Performance standards require potable water piping up to 8 inches diameter to achieve bacteriological clearance within 60 days of service placement and larger piping within 45 days, with comprehensive infiltration and exfiltration testing limits of 50 gallons per inch of diameter per mile per 24 hours for gravity systems.