Ruptured Confidence

A book on Southern California a few years back bore the title “Cadillac Desert,” an apt declaration that the region may have many attributes, but water isn’t one of them.

Last week officials managed to fix a massive water pipe, 6 feet in diameter, that had cracked and drastically reduced supplies to more than 700,000 people in South County.

The speedy fix was impressive and welcome. So was the sense of community spirit of residents who were asked to conserve water and heeded the call. Lawns remained dry, showers substituted for baths, dishes were washed by hand, not machine. The short time it took to fix the pipe meant the situation amounted to an inconvenience, not a crisis. But the willingness to conserve indicated an awareness of the fragility of one of life’s necessities.

The Metropolitan Water District’s explanation of possible reasons for the line failure was disturbing: computer problems and human error. Nor was it reassuring to learn that water pipes made of “prestressed” concrete have proved prone to similar breaks. Southern California has nearly 200 miles of water pipe made of that material.

The pipe that ruptured nearly two weeks ago was buried 25 feet below an Irvine strawberry field. The force of the explosion was so great it sent pieces of concrete spiraling up to the surface and into the air. More than 5 million gallons spilled before the flow was cut off.

Major consumers of water such as construction crews and school districts found their supplies shut down. For homeowners and most businesses, the conservation efforts were voluntary.

MWD officials said the rupture occurred due to a surge in pressure, which they blamed on an error in the computer software that opened and closed valves. When a valve opened faster than expected, operators shut it down, with the pressure building up and cracking the line.

The district needs to examine all its computer programs and ensure they are operating properly. It also should institute refresher courses for its employees in how to respond to emergencies.

The county was fortunate this time that the repair process did not take long and that mandatory water rationing was not required for most of South County. The El Nino rains of 1998 and the melting of heavy snowfall have replenished the water supplies of Southern California. But drought is never far away. The water-pipe rupture provides a lesson on the need not to waste the resource on which the area depends.