City Council Approves Water Study Contract

The San Diego City Council today approved a contract with the U.S. Geological Survey to study groundwater below Chollas Creek and the San Pasqual Valley to see if it can be developed into drinking water.

A pair of monitoring wells will be drilled to test the water quality in each location during the two-year, $2 million study. The city will pay nearly $1.8 million of the cost, and the federal government will pick up the rest.

The city in 2002 established a goal to develop additional sources of water so that the region will not be as dependent on imports.

The contract was passed on the council's consent agenda without comment.