250 Residents File Claims Against MWD : Water: The Anaheim complainants allege that a large pipeline leaked and caused the landslide that damaged dozens of homes. District’s attorney denies the charges.

About 250 Anaheim Hills residents have filed claims against the Metropolitan Water District alleging that a large pipeline had leaked and caused or contributed to the landslide that damaged dozens of homes in January.

Officials with MWD rebutted the residents’ allegations and said that an inspection of the pipes in April failed to detect any leaks that could have been responsible for the high level of ground water that accumulated in the area of the 25-acre landslide.

“There is no evidence that the pipes leaked at all,” said Lauren Brainard, an attorney for Metropolitan Water District. “In fact, the evidence is to the contrary.”

He said water quality tests showed that the water in the hillside did not match the water in the pipeline.

Brainard added that he believed the residents were filing the claims to “preserve their right” to bring a lawsuit against the agency at a later time. Under state law, the residents have six months from the date of the landslide to file claims against governmental bodies to ensure their right to litigate in court.

Attorneys for the residents said Tuesday that they are continuing to investigate the causes of the landslide but believe from preliminary information that MWD is, in part, responsible.

Consultants hired by the residents claim that the amount of ground water in the hillside is much more than could be attributed to last winter’s heavy rainfall or any other natural source.

“We’re not persuaded by (MWD’s) visual inspection that the pipe isn’t leaking,” said William E. Stoner, an attorney representing the residents.

The residents’ claims, filed last week, contend that a 1956 geological report prepared for MWD indicated the existence of faults and high water tables in the Anaheim Hills area where the pipeline was built. Furthermore, the claims allege that MWD officials continued to use the pipeline despite knowledge that it lies in an area prone to landslides.

The claims seek unspecified damages.

The pipeline in question is five feet in diameter, made of concrete, and moves water from Riverside County to Orange County.

Last month, the same residents filed claims against the city, alleging that city officials knew the developments in the Anaheim Hills were being built on an ancient landslide. The claims also allege that city-owned water mains and drains may have also leaked and contributed to the slide.

The landslide was first noticed by residents in June, 1992, when streets and sidewalks started to crack and buckle. The slide moved about an inch between July, 1992, and Jan. 17. After heavy rains in January, the slide accelerated, slipping as many as 14 inches in some areas.