Second Setback on Fort Bragg's Temporary Water Line Passes Without a Service Cut

Editor's Note: It is important for readers to understand this story about a narrowly averted threat to Fort Bragg's water supply is not based on a press release. It is the result of face-to-face reporting by a journalist who lives in the community who is currently not paid a cent. In recent years, much of the news labeled "local" in Mendocino County has been produced in Sonoma County, the Bay Area, and elsewhere by people who are paid to rewrite press releases.

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FORT BRAGG, Calif. — Water began flowing again Sept. 29 through the temporary pipe carrying two of Fort Bragg's three water sources across the Noyo River, after a coupling on the line failed about two hours after it was put into service Sept. 26.

The city spent the start of the week waiting for a replacement coupling, Public Works Director John Smith said.

Fort Bragg draws water from three sources. Two — Waterfall Gulch and Newman Gulch — flow by gravity through the raw water line that broke. The third, the Noyo River, is pumped to the treatment plant through a separate conduit.

The temporary line is 6 inches in diameter, compared with the 10-inch line the city needs, Smith said. The temporary line also floats in the river, which could pose a problem once the rains begin. City Manager Isaac Whippy told the City Council that the governor has declared a state of emergency for El Niño winter weather.

The failure set back a repair that had moved quickly. The raw water line broke Sept. 23, and crews spent until Sept. 24 locating the break beneath the river. By Sept. 26, contractors had strung a temporary line across the river and connected it to the existing raw water line on each side. Water reached the treatment plant that afternoon, operations manager Heath Daniels told the City Council on Sept. 28.

According to Smith, a coupling on the south side of the river then failed. Crews dug up the pipe Sept. 28 and confirmed that the coupling was the problem. A replacement was ordered and was due that afternoon, Smith said. Crews installed the new coupling, and water began flowing through the line again Sept. 29.

While the line was out of service, the city's water supply depended more heavily on the Noyo River. Daniels said that when the river's flow falls below 3 cubic feet per second, the city has to begin pumping, but it can do so only during high tides. Daniels said the city made it through the weekend without having to switch into that restricted, high-tide-only pumping mode.

The city asked residents Sept. 24 to voluntarily reduce water use, including outdoor irrigation and car washing. As of Sept. 28, it had not announced an end to the request. Daniels said daily water use had dropped by almost 75,000 gallons.

The city said when it issued the request that drinking water service had not been interrupted.

The temporary line, which sits in the river, has also drawn the attention of regulators. In an email to MendoLocal.News, Smith said city staff met with California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials Sept. 28 about the temporary measure.

Kevin McDannold, an engineering technician for the city, is meeting with engineers about a permanent repair. Smith wrote the goal is to have a plan to present to the City Council at its next meeting.

Note: The editor's notes was updated at 10:43 a.m. on Oct. 1 to clarify that AB 2222 was passed along party lines. Also, AB 2222 doesn't include guardrails that would require taxpayer-funded stories to be freely shared and distributed or that would exclude funding for AI-generated stories.