Why this matters
Emergency projects occur when infrastructure unexpectedly fails. These projects often cost the city more money and can impact local homes and businesses.
The city of San Diego spent $52 million last year on emergency repairs for infrastructure projects such as replacing collapsed storm drains, clearing water channels and repairing sinkholes which arose due to heavy rain.
Of the 29 emergency repairs performed across the city last year, 23 were related to stormwater infrastructure and totaled about $45 million, according to a city report.
Two years ago, city officials decided to set aside money from the capital improvements budget for an emergency line of funding for storm drains. As the city faces a shortfall of about $250 million in the budget that takes effect July 1, the emergency funds may become even more critical to addressing stormwater needs.
From the Documenters
This story came from notes taken by Simon Mayeski, a San Diego Documenter, at a city of San Diego Active Transportation and Infrastructure Committee meeting earlier this year. The Documenters program trains and pays community members to document what happens at public meetings. Read the note here.
“None of us love emergency projects … but when things collapse, we have to fix them,” said Councilmember Marni von Wilpert during a council meeting earlier this year to approve the emergency repair costs.
Some of the 2024 projects were a direct result of the heavy rains and flooding which took place in several San Diego communities last January. The flooding affected hundreds of homes and cost millions of dollars of damage.
In the event of an emergency, the city is able to develop contracts with a list of pre-approved contractors in order to act swiftly. These agreements bypass the usual bidding process meant to help the city find a contractor at an affordable price.
Stormwater infrastructure has been a consistent reason for these contracts in San Diego over the years, according to Caryn McGriff, assistant director of engineering and capital projects.
“We have seen this repeated history of multiple-millions of dollars of emergencies in storm drains specifically,” McGriff said during the meeting.
The dedicated stormwater funding stream allows the city to move more quickly to address stormwater emergencies while reducing disruptions to other projects, said city spokesperson Tyler Becker.
About $88 million of the city’s 2025 budget is for stormwater projects, according to Becker. Of that, $79 million is set aside for stormwater emergency projects.
The emergency projects completed in 2024 covered a wide range of communities. They included projects in coastal communities such as La Jolla and Point Loma to inland neighborhoods such as Rancho Bernardo and Otay Mesa.
Outdated drainage infrastructure has been a known problem in the city for several years. In a 2021 report, the city recognized the long-term consequences of poor stormwater management.
“As stormwater needs continue to be underfunded, San Diego’s natural resources will continue to be adversely impacted, local water quality will decline precipitously, and the safety of basic infrastructure will be further compromised,” the report detailed.
Type of Content
News: Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
