HUNTINGTON BEACH : Water Main Repair May Mean Shortages

The city could experience water shortages while it undertakes repairs on major a water main, officials said.

About two months ago, the city had to seal off a 24-inch main that brings water into Huntington Beach from the San Joaquin Reservoir near Newport Beach. The pipeline carries about 5% of Huntington Beach’s overall water supply, said Jeff Renna, water operations manager for the city.

The main had to be sealed off because of work on the Santa Ana River bed by the Army Corps of Engineers. The corps is widening the river bed and also making it deeper to provide better flood control.

“The water main from the San Joaquin Reservoir went under the river, and when the corps started making the river bed deeper, the water main had to be removed,” Renna said.

He said the city’s water division decided to replace the pipeline by installing one under the Adams Avenue bridge over the Santa Ana River.

The City Council on Aug. 17 voted unanimously to award a $352,590 contract for work on the new pipeline. Renna said work will start in early September and probably be completed sometime in February.

While the work is underway, the city will continue to do without water supplies from the San Joaquin Reservoir, Renna said. He said that no water shortages have occurred so far this summer, and the city has made do with its other water supplies.