Project Background

Essential Repairs Complete on Pipeline 5 in North San Diego County

In May 2020, crucial repairs were completed on Pipeline 5 in rural North County between Fallbrook and Escondido. The repairs included installing 156 feet of carbon fiber liner inside the 96-inch pre-stressed concrete cylinder pipe to extend its service life. During construction, crews installed bulkheads in the pipeline to isolate the pipeline while water deliveries continued through the county to avoid disruptions in service to member agencies.

The work was part of the Water Authority’s proactive asset management program, which monitors and maintains the condition of regional water infrastructure that includes 310 miles of large-diameter pipelines. The Water Authority’s approach, coordinated closely with its member agencies, has served the region well for more than a decade by avoiding large-scale unexpected water outages.

The Water Authority’s second aqueduct contains Pipelines 3, 4, and 5, which crosses Moosa Creek in the northeast portion of San Diego County. In January 2020, staff conducted an internal inspection of Pipeline 5 after a leak in nearby Pipeline 4 was discovered in summer 2019. The assessment showed that a section of Pipeline 5 in Moosa Canyon was also under significant stress, so a plan was implemented rapidly to address those areas of concern.

Constructed in 1982, Pipeline 5 is a vital component of the Water Authority’s water system, delivering untreated supplies from Lake Skinner in southwest Riverside County to San Diego County. The newly installed carbon fiber liner will give the pipeline several more years of service while a longer-term solution for the aqueduct is developed and deployed.