Wednesday September 25, 2024
KQED —
A long-percolating expansion of Los Vaqueros Reservoir in Contra Costa County will not move forward after costs and delays mounted in recent years, ending a project that would have significantly boosted the Bay Area’s water supply.
The project, first proposed in 2017, would have increased the reservoir’s capacity by more than 70% and distributed water to residents across the Bay Area. In a statement on Monday, Contra Costa Water District Board President Ernesto A. Avila announced the agency would end its participation in the project, citing increasing costs and declining participation from other local water agencies.
“As difficult as the decision was … we have reached the point where the facts show that this well-intended project is not viable,” he wrote.
The project’s costs have grown steadily over the years, from $980 million in 2017 to nearly $1.6 billion, due to inflation and scheduling delays.