Lindero Canyon Road has undergone construction since fall 2021 for the Calleguas-Las Virgenes interconnection project. This project aims to connect the Calleguas and Las Virgenes water agencies to avoid reliance on imported water supplies from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. 

Calleguas’ water system depends on one connection point to obtain their water supply. The interconnection will benefit both water districts by providing another water supply location for use in other water projects or in case of emergencies. This ensures that Oak Park and its surrounding communities have enough water in case of a pipe burst or water supply outage.

Throughout development, crews have faced adversity when installing sections of the new pipeline. 

“Challenges to the project include complications from an above-average wet winter season last year,” Calleguas Municipal Water District Manager of Resources Dan Drugan wrote to the Talon. “We have experienced high groundwater levels when trenching and digging into the street.”

The interconnection will support various water projects in the area, allowing the transfer of water between the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District and the Calleguas Municipal Water District. 

“The interconnection will allow us to receive water on the west side of our system from CMWD in situations where a [pipeline] may be unavailable, such as maintenance or emergencies,” LVMWD Project Manager Oliver Slosser wrote to the Talon. “The interconnection may also support projects such as the Pure Water Project in giving LVMWD and CMWD the ability to transfer water between districts.”

The project was originally set to be completed in February 2024. With delays pertaining to pipeline installation, as well as supply chain issues, traffic control requirements and available work hours, the estimated completion date has been pushed back. 

“So far, the project timeline has not shifted much. We still anticipate completion of the project in summer or fall of 2024,” Drugan wrote to the Talon. “We continue to make good progress with installation of [the] new water pipeline.” 

For more information regarding the project and updates on progress and road closures, visit the Calleguas Water District website.