San Diego County Water Authority Mission Trails pipeline repair update
May 23, 2006
The San Diego County Water Authority continued to assess repairs needed on Pipeline 3, an untreated water pipeline that failed…
The San Diego County Water Authority continued to assess repairs needed on Pipeline 3, an untreated water pipeline that failed May 16 in Mission Trails Regional Park. The damaged pipeline was inspected internally, and several areas were excavated for an external visual inspection. A total of eight damaged pipe sections have been identified that need repair.
Based on the extent of the damage and the need to expedite resumption of untreated water deliveries to the city of San Diego and Sweetwater Authority, the Water Authority has identified additional emergency work that is required. Excavation to construct a 30-inch bypass pipeline at San Carlos Bay on the north eastern side of Lake Murray near the Alvarado Water Treatment Plant has begun. Construction is estimated to take up to three weeks.
When completed, the bypass pipeline will resume delivery of untreated water. The Otay and Perdue water treatment plants will return to full service from the Water Authority’s aqueduct system. The Alvarado Water Treatment Plant, which will be serviced by the new bypass pipeline, will receive water deliveries to supplement water from its reservoirs in order to operate at capacity. Consumers should not be impacted. The preliminary cost estimate for the repair work and construction of the bypass pipeline is $860,000.
A portion of the paved trail at San Carlos Bay circling Lake Murray will be closed until after completion of the bypass pipeline construction. Use of the paved trail, which can be accessed from the main gate as well as from Murray Park Drive, will still be allowed up to the work area. To assure public safety, the Water Authority will provide security guards to redirect trail users away from the work area. Security guards will be given flyers with additional information to hand out to trail users. Residents near the construction site are also being notified about the planned work.
Once the short-term bypass pipeline construction is completed, long-term repairs to the damaged pipeline in Mission Trails Park will begin. The Water Authority is currently assessing the extent of the damage to determine the scope and length of the repairs needed to put the pipeline back in service.
The Water Authority continues to work closely with local community representatives, San Diego Councilmember Madaffer’s office and Mayor Sanders’ office. A full report will be presented this Thursday at 1:00 p.m. during the Engineering and Operations Committee meeting at the Water Authority’s regularly scheduled Board of Directors meeting.
Additional information is available by calling the toll-free project information line at
(877) 682-9283, Ext. 7009
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