Escondido

An early morning break in a 48-inch pipe at the First San Diego Aqueduct in North County could result in the loss of more than 1.6-million gallons of water, the County Water Authority said Friday.

The break occurred between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. Friday in a steel pipe north of Lake Hodges and east of Interstate 15, a spokesman said.

“Once we are able to expose the pipeline and find the cause of the break, we will be able to estimate the time required for repair,” water authority engineer Larry Hobson said. “We don’t expect to lose more than a total of 50 acre-feet from the break.”

An acre-foot of water equals about 326,000 gallons, enough to sustain a family of four for a year.

Authority workers were waiting for water to drain from the pipeline before moving in for repairs, Hobson said. The leaking water is running into Lake Hodges, where it will be used by the Santa Fe Irrigation District, he said.

Hobson said the water loss is “minimal.”

Through its 24 member agencies, the authority serves 98% of the county’s population, spokesman Pete Rios said. He said the county should not experience a reduction in water pressure because of the break.