SACRAMENTO Dec. 23, 2009 - The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is assessing damage and planning repairs to a section of five foot diameter State Water Project (SWP) pipeline that failed yesterday afternoon near Livermore.
The break in a surge tank spur line caused flooding of a vineyard and parking lot at the Wente Brothers Winery. The pipeline failure occurred on a hillside just above the winery, damaging part of a golf course cart path.
DWR engineers believe water from recent rainstorms or a small pipeline leak saturated earth supporting the pipe, leading to the failure.
The three water agencies served by the SWP's South Bay Aqueduct (Alameda County Flood Control & Water Conservation District, Zone 7; Alameda County Water District; and Santa Clara Valley Water District) were receiving about 115 cubic feet per second of water from Lake Del Valle through the spur line because an enlargement project has been underway on the main line.
They will now have to use alternative sources until the enlargement project is completed January 11, 2010.
Repair of the spur line is expected to take at least two months.
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