After Pipe Rupture, Small California Town Fights Over Repairs

After a major pipe ruptured following drought-breaking storms, the water supply is at risk in the tiny California community of Davenport. As residents worry that their taps will run dry, a major fight has erupted about who should pay to fix the pipe.

“On the coastal bluffs just north of Santa Cruz, this hamlet is in danger of drying up because those storms were more than a 100-year-old water pipe could handle,” the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

“The pipe was Davenport’s water lifeline — a 4-mile conduit that snakes from San Vicente Creek in the Santa Cruz Mountains to the treatment plant for the town’s 430 residents. The storms caused landslides that damaged the pipe in two spots, forcing the town to tap into the smaller Mill Creek as an emergency stopgap,” the report said.

After the pipe ruptured, the pipeline owner, CEMEX, said it would not pay the $220,000 in repair costs, according to KSBW.

“So the bill is being passed down to Davenport's 400 residents. Those 400 residents already have the highest water bills in the county,” the report said.

CEMEX is a cement company that owns that town’s water infrastructure. The town was established to house the company’s workers, KAZU reported.

“The county is searching for grant opportunities to cover the repair cost, but says it may also pursue legal action against CEMEX,” the report said.

Ryan Coonerty, the third district supervisor for Santa Cruz County, called out the company for its refusal to pay for the repairs.

"In order to address a significant health and safety concern for the people of Davenport, the county, at my urging, decided to repair CEMEX water lines," Coonerty said, per the report. "We have tried to work with CEMEX to get them to repair this critical water line, but while CEMEX has been out trying to sell the water rights, they are neglecting to maintain the water infrastructure that serves this low-income community. If this situation is not resolved, the county may be forced to take legal action."

CEMEX defended itself in a statement to KSWB.

“CEMEX closed the Davenport plant in 2010, and since then continued to make water available to the County water treatment facility at no cost to the county. The damage to the main water line that was caused by major storms earlier this year did not occur on CEMEX property,” the statement said.

“The attempt to cast this as CEMEX cutting off water supplies is disappointing. CEMEX recognizes the importance of a reliable water supply and continues to make water available to Davenport through a backup line,” it continued.