EMBUD Released a Very Scary Statement About the Lafayette Reservoir Tower’s “Extremely High” Risks
In response to intense controversy in the Lafayette, California community, EBMUD has released a statement about its plans to shorten the Lafayette Reservoir tower.
Spoiler alert: it’s very scary.
The East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) announced plans to proceed with shortening the Lafayette Reservoir Tower in 2025, citing “extremely high” risks associated with the tower’s current condition.
The structure, which also serves as the spillway for the reservoir, has been deemed a critical dam safety component by the California Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD).
According to EBMUD, the tower’s safety deficiencies present severe hazards to residents, schools, and businesses downstream, extending as far as Martinez. These risks, EBMUD stated, necessitate immediate action to ensure public safety.
Basically, if the dam failed, a giant flood wave would sweep through downtown Lafayette.
Since 2015, EBMUD has explored alternatives to preserve the tower’s height while addressing seismic safety concerns, the statement says.
However, DSOD rejected several proposed designs as they failed to meet safety standards. The agency approved EBMUD’s plan to shorten the tower in 2021. Despite this, EBMUD spent the past year evaluating a new proposal from a local residents’ group advocating for maintaining the original height. EBMUD determined that this alternative was less reliable, costlier by $8 million, and unlikely to gain DSOD approval.
“The failure of the Lafayette Tower poses severe health and safety risks,” EBMUD stated, emphasizing the urgency of moving the project forward. The revised shorter tower will include aesthetic elements resembling the original structure to address community concerns.
Construction is set to begin in 2025. EBMUD assures the public that the project aligns with its mission to prioritize safety while responsibly managing ratepayer funds.
This begs the question: if the risk is so high from a dam failure, why are we retrofitting a 91 year old tower anyway? Can we keep the tower as an aesthetic landmark and add more modern safety features to ensure that a catastrophic breach never happens?
