A recent wastewater spill on Glorietta Boulevard served as a reminder that Coronado’s underground pipe system is old and will require an expensive overhaul, according to City Manager Tina Friend.
On July 16, about 2,000 gallons of sewage leaked into Glorietta Bay due to a pipe obstruction. The bay was closed for about a day for testing by San Diego County before reopening on July 17.
Friend told the City Council this week that clay pipes in the area are 70 years old. A tree root had penetrated the pipe, creating an obstruction that backed up sewage, forcing it to come through a manhole near the intersection of Glorietta Boulevard and Monterey Avenue.
The wastewater then seeped into a storm drain and flowed into the bay. Friend mentioned the city’s capital improvement program, which includes projects assessing its underground pipe system.
Because of Coronado’s flat landscape, 17 pump stations are required to move sewage to Point Loma’s wastewater treatment plant. The city has 45 miles of underground pipes that transport about 2.3 million gallons of sewage per day.
“We are prioritizing infrastructure,” Friend said, reminding residents that the city has $3.2 million currently programmed for wastewater projects.
Some projects listed in the city’s capital improvement plan are to identify existing wastewater mains and manholes across the city that need rehabilitation, evaluate response readiness to emergency scenarios like pump and collection system failures that would prevent effluent transportation, and keep the Cays Pump Station in adequate condition.
The new sewer rates passed earlier this year are helping cover the costs to upgrade and maintain sewer pipelines.
