Sierra Madre : Water Exploration to Begin
Exploration for new city water supplies trapped in fractures of the San Gabriel Mountains will begin this week.
The City Council voted 3-2 Tuesday to award a $5,000 contract to Geothermal Surveys Inc. of South Pasadena for the first phase of exploration. During the next six weeks, the firm will research geologic and hydrologic records and conduct legal analysis of the effects that water extraction behind the city might have on the Raymond Basin aquifer and other water agencies.
The second phase, which has not been funded, would involve infrared surveys within the city’s water tunnels and electrical resistivity soundings. The total cost of obtaining water is not known at this time.
GSI President Joseph Birman said the target is an additional 500 acre-feet per year, which would be obtained through drilling and well construction. The city is seeking the water as a cushion against future droughts.
Mayor Gary B. Adams and Councilman Clem L. Bartolai voted against the proposal. Adams said that more economical water management strategies, including storing Sierra Madre water in the Santa Anita basin in Arcadia, are preferable.
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