Concrete pipes weighing over 12 thousand pounds. They have a long journey ahead. The San Diego County Water Authority is sending two of the pipes 16 hundred miles north. They are going to Calgary to help with the water crisis.
“This is one of several pieces of pipe we have in our yard that we store in case of emergency. Thankfully we are able to release two of these pipes to Calgary. They need it more than we do,” said Martin Coghill.
Coghill is with the San Diego County Water Authority. The pipes are being transported from their storage yard in Spring Valley.
A former colleague of Coghill’s who used to live in San Diego now works for the city of Calgary. He reached out to see if they had any spare pipes.
“It is important understanding what the pressures the city of Calgary are under. Water supply to the city is a fundamental to the economy. We may need their help one day,” said Coghill.
“This plays such a big role in getting our water system restored,” said Jyoti Gondek.
Gondek is the mayor of Calgary. Earlier this month, the city had a major water main break.
That has been fixed, but she says there are five breach points.
“To fix those five breach points we had enough material on hand to fix three of them. We needed two more. What you are shipping us from San Diego helps us get the job done,” she said.
The pipes have a hundred-year life span.
Coghill says each one is a lifeline to the city
“I can only have a huge amount of empathy of what they are going through. That prompted me to spray paint a little message for them on the pipe,” he said.
His message is keep the water flowing. And it will. Each pipe will pump billions of gallons of water in its lifetime.
