San Vicente Pipeline

Location

Lakeside, CA

Owner

San Diego County Water Authority

Value

$220 million

This project involved the construction of a pipeline connecting the San Vicente Pump Station and the Rancho Penasquitos Pressure Control and Hydroelectric Facility. The pipeline is part of the San Diego County Water Authority’s Emergency Storage Project. The project included many challenges due to the difficult ground conditions. The tunnel runs through six geological reaches and is one of the most multifaceted tunnels in the U.S. Many excavation methods were required to handle the difficult ground conditions, including drill and blast, NATM, hard rock TBM, and open-faced digger shield.