Facilities and Operations
News on the processes, people, and places working to deliver a safe and reliable wholesale water supply to the San Diego region’s 24 member water agencies.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
Historic Pipeline Project Boosts Long-Term Water Reliability
/in Facilities & Operations, News /by Kristiene GongSan Diego County Water Authority crews successfully completed the first of three coordinated shutdowns of the First Aqueduct in early March to launch a major renovation of dozens of structures on two pipelines, including the historic Pipeline 1 that first delivered imported water to the region in 1947. The series of shutdowns was carefully planned […]
Quick Solution Keeps Pipeline Repairs on Track
/in Facilities & Operations, News /by Gayle Falkenthalby Water News Network StaffWhen Water Authority crews began dewatering part of the region’s pipeline system for a 10-day shutdown in mid-November, they discovered a leaking valve that threatened to disrupt the time-sensitive operation. At issue was a six-foot diameter valve in the Second Aqueduct that was designed to isolate a section of pipeline so workers could safely make […]
Pipeline 5 Upgrades Begin in Fallbrook
/in Facilities & Operations, News /by Gayle Falkenthalby Water News Network staffA $25.3 million Pipeline 5 relining project is under way in North County to improve the reliability of the San Diego region’s water delivery system. The project involves rehabilitating approximately 2.3 miles of one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s regional wholesale water pipelines in eight segments along a 9.5-mile stretch through the community […]
L.H. Woods & Sons Honored for 60 Years of Enhancing Region’s Aqueducts
/in Facilities & Operations, News /by Gayle FalkenthalAfter 60 years of work upgrading the San Diego regional aqueduct system, Vista-based L.H. Woods & Sons, Inc. was honored by the San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors upon completion of the company’s final project under local ownership for the Water Authority. The Board formally marked the successful conclusion of the $28.6 million […]
Agency Embraces Innovation at Technology Showcase
/in Facilities & Operations, News /by Gayle FalkenthalSan Diego, Calif. – Welcome to the future. That’s the message from the San Diego County Water Authority, which is developing and deploying cutting-edge techniques to maintain its 310 miles of giant pipes that provide water for 3.3 million residents across the region. “This is all about assessing the condition of our pipelines through the […]
La Mesa Relining Project on Pace for Completion in June
/in Facilities & Operations, News /by Gayle Falkenthalby Craig BalbenMajor construction activities have concluded at a pipeline relining project in La Mesa and Spring Valley, and the entire project is on track for completion by the end of June. The Lake Murray to Sweetwater Reservoir Pipeline 3 Relining Project rehabilitated 4.3 miles of 66- and 69-inch diameter pipes, extending the pipeline’s service life by […]
Pipeline Upgrades Coming to Fallbrook in Fall 2018
/in Facilities & Operations /by Mike Leeby Water News Network staffA major water pipeline that runs through rural North County is getting the water industry’s version of a makeover. The San Diego County Water Authority plans to start relining one of its regional wholesale water pipelines in fall 2018, extending its service life by more than 75 years. Construction is expected to last about one […]
Innovative Relining Program Reduces Cost, Extends Pipeline Service Life
/in Facilities & Operations, News /by Gayle Falkenthalby Nathan Faber, O&M Manager; Neena Kuzmich, P.E., Principal Engineer; and Colin Kemper, Engineer P.E., San Diego County Water AuthorityWhen the San Diego County Water Authority installed major sections of 66- to 96-inch diameter pipelines in the 1960s, 70s and early 80s, the regional water wholesale agency used cost-saving pipeline material – a combination of steel wires, thin steel pipe, and concrete widely known as Pre-Stressed Concrete Cylinder Pipe (PCCP). Decades later, agencies around […]