We’re now completing an extensive overhaul of our conveyance system at the start of the Contra Costa Canal near Oakley. The 48-mile canal system is the backbone of our water delivery system, bringing water from the Delta to treatment plants that serve more than 500,000 customers.
When first constructed in the 1930s, the initial four miles of canal was formed of earthen levees—without the concrete liner typical of the rest of the canal system. This open water way posed a variety of safety hazards, presented water quality challenges from the nearby groundwater and resulted in water losses through seepage and evaporation.
Replacing these levees with a 10-foot diameter buried pipe addresses these challenges and protects the water reliability for generations to come. This project should be complete by the end of 2023.
A section of the unlined Contra Costa Canal is replaced with a buried pipeline in 2018.
