Staff report: inspection finds key pipeline defects in Sheffield Tunnel; CCWA settles long-running contract lawsuit

The Santa Barbara City Water Commission was briefed Oct. 26 on inspection findings showing deterioration in the South Coast Conduit inside the Sheffield Tunnel and on a settlement that transfers the State Water Project contract holder role from Santa Barbara County to the Central Coast Water Authority (CCWA).

The briefing, delivered by Dakota Corey, the city's water supply and services manager, and other staff, described an inspection this spring inside the Sheffield Tunnel — a 6,100-foot concrete tunnel carrying a 30-inch diameter portion of the South Coast Conduit from the Sheffield Pump Station toward Parma Park — that identified “severe mortar cracks” and steel band failures at multiple joints. Corey said 15% of the 503 joints examined showed deficiencies rated “type 4 or worse.” He called the findings a “significant maintenance concern” because the tunnel has no redundancy and a catastrophic failure could interrupt deliveries to Montecito Water District and Carpinteria Valley Water District.

The city presentation said the Kachuma Operations and Maintenance Board (COME), a joint powers agency that includes the city and three neighboring districts, is prioritizing repairs. Planned near-term actions include…