Law Blocks Expansion of Reservoir Near School

Gov. Pete Wilson has signed a law written exclusively for San Marino that prohibits the expansion of a controversial reservoir on a slope above the high school unless safety experts certify that the project will not pose a risk to students.

The law’s author, Assemblyman Jack Scott (D-Pasadena), said Tuesday that the measure will settle safety questions about the San Gabriel County Water District’s proposal to quadruple the size of the 1.5-million gallon tank, which is near an earthquake fault.

“The water district’s own catastrophic failure analysis found that a 6.5 earthquake, which is less than the Northridge quake, could cause the reservoir to fail, sending . . . water cascading down on the high school,” Scott said.

For four years, San Marino city officials have fought the reservoir in court. Water district officials have maintained throughout the dispute that the tank is safe and have proposed sinking it deeper into the ground.

But the city and school district have legally challenged the adequacy of the district’s environmental impact report for the project.

While San Marino residents fear for their children, the water district said it is concerned about meeting the water needs of nearby cities. The reservoir is intended to increase the capacity of the water district, which serves more than 8,000 customers in San Gabriel, Rosemead and Temple City.