Thursday vandals damaged a water district dam in Fremont California causing 49,000,000 gallons of water to spill into San Francisco Bay.
Alameda County Water District general manager Robert Shaver stated, “This is a very significant loss of water under any circumstances, and more so in the drought conditions we are experiencing.”
The Contra Costa Times reported that the inflatable dam was in a restricted area. Police said the felony vandalism was intentional, but so far had no suspects and are not sure exactly how the barrier was damaged.
“It is an utterly senseless, destructive and wasteful thing to do,” Shaver lamented. The dam was built in 1971 and the ACWD was planning on replacing the structure.
Some 340,000 people of the cities of Fremont Newark and Union City utilized the water controlled by the dam. Estimates inform that the lost water could provide the entire water needs for 500 homes for one year.
An official ACWD statement explained, “While the water loss was substantial, the district does not believe it will have a long-term impact on its water supply operations.”
Anyone with information about the vandalism is asked to contact Fremont police Detective A. Ceniceros at 510-790-6900.