SAN DIEGO — In recent years, the city of San Diego has released more than 11 billion gallons of freshwater from city-owned reservoirs into the ocean.
It has been done because many of the dams holding the water in are failing and have been placed on water restrictions to prevent a breach.
Now, the city of San Diego is looking to hire an outside consultant to manage its dam safety program for the next ten years at a price of up to $100 million.
The cost of the consultant is in addition to the potential billions of dollars needed to repair or replace some of the dams listed in "unsatisfactory" or "poor" condition, which include those at Lake Hodges, Lake Murray, Morena Reservoir, and El Capitan.
After CBS 8 hired an attorney, the city agreed to un-redact portions of a report on the safety of Lake Murray Dam. It showed the 108-year-old structure had significant deterioration, including leaks, exposed rebar, and cracks in need of repair.
On Wednesday, June 26, the city council's infrastructure committee took the first steps in entering into the 10-year, up to $100 million, contract with GEI Consultants to manage the city's Dam Safety Program.
If the city council gives final approval, the firm will provide "condition assessments, planning and engineering support, environmental compliance support, permitting and regulatory support, community outreach planning and support, asset management. support, and program management," according to city documents that CBS 8 obtained.
As first reported by CBS 8, two local water agencies are pursuing legal action against the City of San Diego over loss of access to water from Lake Hodges, resulting in the release of billions of gallons of water from Hodges Dam.
In the February 2023 legal claims obtained by CBS 8, the Santa Fe Irrigation District and San Dieguito Water District said the city breached its contract with the agencies giving them access to Lake Hodges water.
At Wednesday's meeting, committee members voted unanimously in favor of entering into the contract.