CERRITOS, Calif. — The Cerritos City Council on Dec. 22 approved an emergency repair package and related budget transfers after a critical failure at one of the city’s groundwater wells forced staff to buy imported water and recommend immediate fixes.

Director of Public Works Alvin Papa told the council that tests and a contractor inspection found “a hole 600 feet deep in the well liner” and about 26 feet of accumulated fill at the bottom of the C4 well, which led staff to take the well offline and begin purchasing imported water to protect supply (Alvin Papa). The contractor recommended patching and reconsolidating the liner, chemical cleaning, installing an access pipe for future inspections and refurbishing or reinstalling the pump to allow continued operation at reduced capacity.

The council approved the staff package — including authorization of the emergency repair contract and a set of budget transfers to cover the immediate work and increased imported‑water purchases — on a 5–0 roll call. Mayor Pro Tem Linda Johnson moved to approve items 1–4; Councilmember Jennifer Hong seconded the motion.

Why it mattered: Papa explained that the city typically relies on three wells for its groundwater supply and that the C4 well produced roughly 24–2,500 acre‑feet a year when operational. With C4 offline, the city estimates an additional roughly $3 million in imported‑water costs for the year compared with pumping groundwater. Papa also said staff estimates the emergency repair at about $5,059,270 and proposed a 15% construction contingency; staff recommended transferring $643,000 from a deferred swim/fitness center rehabilitation project plus other internal adjustments to cover near‑term needs.

Council and staff emphasized longer‑term constraints on funding. City Manager Robert Lopez and the City Attorney explained that revenue bonds require a dedicated revenue source and that Prop 218 limits how property‑related water and sewer fees may be used. The attorney summarized the legal limit as: funds collected for water and sewer must be used for water and sewer services only, citing the state constitutional provisions discussed with council.

Public reaction was robust. Dozens of residents urged more transparency, questioned the timing of the staff report (it was distributed shortly before the meeting), and urged the council to pursue alternatives including bonds, grants or other revenue changes. Employees and the local AFSCME chapter urged immediate investment and pointed to years of deferred maintenance and staffing shortfalls in the water department.

Selected quotes and positions:
• Alvin Papa, director of public works: “They found a hole 600 feet deep in the well liner,” and recommended patching and chemical cleaning to stabilize the well while planning a replacement project.
• Councilmember Jennifer Hong asked about warranties on past repairs; Papa replied, “typically for this type of work, the warranty period is about 1 year,” and cautioned that ‘‘this is an old well’’ and repairs may be temporary.
• AFSCME Local 619 vice president Ben Lauren: union members “see these challenges firsthand” and said the recent well failure “underscored the seriousness of the situation.”
• Residents including Steve Stallings and Sam Desai criticized the timing of the agenda distribution and called for clearer accounting of past water‑rate revenue and prior spending.

What was approved: The council approved the staff recommendation to proceed with the emergency repairs and the proposed budget transfers and contingency authorization. Staff said the emergency repair work and increased imported‑water purchases would be covered by the recommended transfers, by drawing some funds earmarked elsewhere, and by moving other planned CIP funds as needed.

Next steps: Staff said design of the long‑term C4 replacement project is already underway and that a replacement well and treatment system could be awarded for construction in mid‑2027 with completion targeted in 2029 if funding and schedules hold. The council also directed staff to keep the community informed and to include related budget and project planning in upcoming fiscal‑year materials. The council’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2026.

The vote: Motion to approve staff recommendations passed on a roll‑call vote of 5–0 (Hong, Pulido, Se/Saeed, Mayor Pro Tem Johnson, Mayor Yokoyama).

Reporting note: Quotes and factual claims in this article are drawn from the council meeting transcript and staff presentation given Dec. 22, 2025.