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Could a mass evacuation like the one in Oroville happen here in San Diego? The city says no, that all the dams around our area are safe. The Miramar Dam is a very popular recreation area. There are runners, bicyclists all out enjoying the lake and the view. What all these people are exercising on is actually an earthen dam. “It’s very critical for our water supply here in the San Diego region,” says Halla Razak, Director of the San Diego Public Utility Department.

Rainwater erosion alongside the Oroville Dam’s main spillway appears to have contributed to the heavy damage that prompted a crisis, forcing more than 100,000 to be evacuated from their homes, a report reviewed by The Times showed. A summary of the incident, prepared by state water officials four days after the crater in the concrete chute appeared, said water from heavy rains hit the hillsides where the massive concrete spillway runs. Flowing water during heavy rains was “diverted … effectively eroding and undermining the spillway, causing a section to collapse,” said the incident summary.

 

A proposal to hire a consultant to study future rates for San Diego municipal water customers, and increase transparency in developing the prices, received initial backing Thursday from the City Council’s Environment Committee. The suggestion by the Utility Consumers Action Network stemmed from the council’s approval in November 2015 of rate increases that will total around 40 percent over five years. “We understand that the costs to service the provision of water to San Diego customers required a large increase,” Don Kelly of UCAN told committee members.