Bay Area water districts have decided to abandon an ambitious and costly plan to create more water storage.
After decades of planning and tens of millions of public dollars spent on water expansion studies and designs, the Los Vaqueros Reservoir expansion project in Contra Costa County is over.
"Our board thought it was the appropriate time to take a look at all of these facts and make a tough decision but the right thing to do in using public dollars," Contra Costa Water District Director of Public Affairs Jennifer Allen said.
Soaring costs, scheduling delays and increasing limitations on water capacity spelled the end for the project. The goal was to raise the dam by over 50 feet, dramatically expanding the reservoir's water storage capabilities. Eight regional water districts were partnering to make it happen, and both state and federal dollars were being pumped in.
"There's about $58 million that went into those designs and the planning," Allen said.
Staring down a projected net cost of over $1.5 billion to finish the project – a cost that would have been passed on to customers – the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) last month dropped its commitment to the project.
"The costs have gone up and the yield, the amount of water that we can count on for our East Bay consumers, has gone down," EBMUD spokesperson Andrea Pook said.
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In recent weeks, other Bay Area water districts significantly reduced their commitments.
"We are still open and interested in pursuing future partnerships," Pook said.
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Contra Costa, which had been leading the reservoir expansion project, is already exploring alternative solutions.
"There's a big, long list of potential projects from recycled water, desalination, water transfers," Allen said. "There's a lot of potential out there for partnering."
