FREMONT (CBS SF) — An attack on an inflatable dam holding back precious stores of water on Alameda Creek let loose nearly 50,000,000 gallons of water, enough to serve 500 families for an entire year, said the Alameda County Water District (ACWD).
“This is a very significant loss of water under any circumstances, and more so in the drought conditions we are experiencing,” said ACWD General Manager Robert Shaver. “It is an utterly senseless, destructive, and wasteful thing to do.”
The dam will cost $3 million to replace.
Fremont police report vandals accessed a restricted area early Thursday, irreversibly damaging the barrier holding back the water which was supposed to go into the Niles Cone Groundwater Basin where residents and businesses in Newark, Union City, and Fremont could access the critically needed supplies. 81,000 customers are in that area.
Instead, the water flowed into the San Francisco Bay.
The district tells CBS SF in a press release, “While the water loss was substantial, the District does not believe it will have a long-term impact on its water supply operations.”
PHOTO PRIOR TO THE VANDALISM:
Anyone with information about this crime is encouraged to contact Detective A. Ceniceros at Aceniceros@fremont.gov or (510) 790-6900.
The destroyed dam dates back to 1971, and because of its age, the district was already working to build a replacement and has vendors and equipment mobilized to do that.
It also maintains a second dam on the creek, used to expand and save water from going downstream when needed, or deflate, and allow storm run off to flow freely.
150 acre feet of water was lost. Generally, an “acre-foot”–the amount of water used to fill an acre of land up to one foot, is thought to supply a suburban family of four for a year. In the Bay Area, it can last much farther. 325,850 gallons make up one single acre foot. The water district handles water for 340,000 people in the southern part of the county.
Ten bucks says the wetbacks did it. It’s been there since 1971 and no one bothered it until now.
“We can kill a few gringos by cutting off their water supply”
“Si senior. Let’s do it”
Inflatable dams? Really? What is this, Looney Tunes? How you going to dam up water with something that floats? I guess that explains all those air valve stems on the Hoover Dam.
“The dam will cost $3 million to replace.”
Actual cost is probably 10 – 20% of that.
The rest is kickbacks to the thieving politicians.
We cant’ do anything in this country unless someone’s palm is greased under the table. Everything is a scam. At a convenience store yesterday they had to check license plates on a couple vehicles to ensure they paid. The cashier remarked “We’ve had more than one “ripping us off” this weekend. I just said it’s better than you guys getting away with “ripping us off” with every gas purchase. 2 weeks before Memorial Day, gas prices $2.49 a gallon. Now, $2.69 a gallon. Supposedly, we have no place to store all the oil and gas we have so one would think the economic model of supply and demand would dictate market price. Wrong. Wrong! Bend over people, they’ll charge whatever they please, and what are you going to do about it short of Revolution? Yes people, Dick Cheney is busy counting his cash, shopping for body parts, and plans to rob you blind through his last breath, which may be awhile as there are too many potential body part donors to keep that evil son of a bitch alive indefinitely.
Been paying $2.89 for a few weeks now. Still beat the hell out of CA prices.
I hate to say it but is there really an CA price and a Ny price and a Fl or Tx price. You catch my drift. It’s lions share is taken by the elite and the once strong and proud (think join or die[NE,NY,NJ, etc BenF. )”states” skim off like bottom feeders