Feb. 15, 2002 -- Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) workers today installed the final 500 feet of a 12-foot steel water pipe into the eight-mile-long, 16-feet-diameter Badlands Tunnel, marking a milestone in the completion of the Inland Feeder project.
The 44-mile-long water line will increase Southern California's water supply reliability by strategically bringing water during the wet months for storage and use during dry periods.
A crane nearly eight stories tall lifted the 12-foot-diameter steel pipe into the air, then inserting it into the tunnel.
The high-capacity, gravity-driven water delivery system was designed to increase the region's water supply reliability, while minimizing impact on the Bay/Delta environment in Northern California.
Some scientists also believe the project will help to deal with future weather pattern uncertainties that may mean lower winter snowpacks and more rain. The Inland Feeder will take advantage of large volumes of water when available from Northern California during wet seasons, depositing it in Southland reservoirs and groundwater basins for use during dry periods and emergencies.
The project also will improve the quality of the Southland's drinking water by increasing the blend of better-quality state project water with Colorado River supplies, which have a higher mineral content, MWD said.
