City to Sue MWD Over Plans for Garvey Reservoir

The City Council has decided to file a lawsuit challenging a plan by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to reopen the Garvey Reservoir, which was drained three years ago after leaks were found.

In a closed session Monday, the council voted to contest the findings in an environmental study approved by the district’s board of directors in August. Based on that study, the MWD board voted last month to proceed with plans for a $28-million reconstruction of the reservoir. If the state certifies the plans, restoration could begin as soon as February.

Monterey Park City Manager Chris Jeffers said the lawsuit, which will be filed before Oct. 17, will assert that the water district’s environmental impact report fails to meet standards set by the California Environmental Quality Act in addressing earthquake safety and other technical questions. Jeffers said the city will also argue that alternatives to reopening the reservoir were not properly addressed.

MWD officials said they will not comment on the impending lawsuit until it is filed. However, Gary Snyder, MWD chief engineer, said the district’s proposed restoration would strengthen the reservoir’s floor to prevent a repetition of the cracking that caused the reservoir to be drained in 1989 and was blamed for the flooding of several houses.

Forty-four claims alleging damage from the 1989 leakage were filed against the water district. Officials said 16 of the claims were dropped after being rejected by MWD, 13 are being litigated under a single lawsuit, 14 were settled and one is about to be settled.

“The possibility of a recurrence of what happened before is virtually zero,” Snyder said. When the cracks are filled and a multilayer liner installed, the reservoir could withstand a “worst-case” earthquake of 7.0 magnitude directly under the reservoir, he said.

The plans “had a lot of very high-level review, and all of the agencies agree that (the reservoir) is safe,” Snyder said.

MWD officials contend that the Garvey Reservoir, located in the southeastern part of the city, is a critical link in their water system and is needed to prevent the possibility of serious failures of major water pipelines and facilities. MWD officials say the reservoir acts as a relief valve in regulating surges in water pressure.

Officials say the reservoir, which was built in 1955, could help to provide drinking water for up to 7 million people in central Los Angeles County.

Several residents living near the facility applauded the city’s decision to battle MWD, and some said they will contribute money to the effort. Over the last three years, many of the residents attended meetings with city officials and water district representatives to protest plans for the reservoir.