Pipe Bomb Found in Water Pipeline
A large pipe bomb was safely removed from inside a manhole cover leading to a major San Diego County Water Authority pipeline and was detonated Monday morning.
Maintenance workers from the water authority discovered the device during a routine check along the 72-inch-diameter Pipeline 3, which provides water for about 500,000 residents in the South and East county areas.
A lock had been broken on the manhole cover and the device placed inside, officials said. The pipe runs about 10 feet below ground, bringing water from Riverside County storage facilities.
The arson and explosives unit of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department was called to the 3600 block of Proctor Valley Road in Bonita south of San Miguel Road. With assistance from the California Highway Patrol and the Bonita Fire Department, the pipe bomb was removed and detonated.
Had the device gone off, it would have caused serious disruption to county residents, he said, similar to water shortages that occurred last year.
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