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Cerritos council approves emergency repair and funds after C4 well failure
Summary
Cerritos City Council voted unanimously Dec. 22 to approve an emergency repair contract and budget transfers after staff found a 600‑foot hole and accumulated fill in the C4 well; council and residents debated funding choices and the limits of Prop 218 for water rates.
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.
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