SARI Project Overview
When the SARI Line was completed in the mid-1970s, the Santa Ana riverbed provided
a protective covering as much as 20 feet deep in some locations. Over the years,
the riverbed has eroded and now provides 1-foot or less of protective covering over
portions of the upper reaches of the pipeline between the Orange/San Bernardino
county line and Weir Canyon Road. During heavy rainstorms, when high volumes of
storm flows are carried downstream, the loss of protective cover puts nearly 4 miles
of pipeline in jeopardy of failure.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has also raised the level of Prado Dam by 30 feet,
and increased the capacity of the outlet structure, which will significantly increase
the rate at which water can be discharged into the Santa Ana River. This flow of
water will add to the rate of erosion of the riverbed over the SARI Line, further
increasing the risk of failure.
If the pipeline were to fail, raw sewage and industrial waste would spill into the
river, adversely impacting water quality and riparian habitat for the dozens of
fish, birds and wildlife species that live in and along the Santa Ana River. A pipeline
breach would also pollute the coastal waters and beaches in Huntington Beach and
Newport Beach, which lie at the mouth of the Santa Ana River. The county's water
recharge basins, which are adjacent to the Santa Ana River in Anaheim, would also
be at risk of contamination. In addition, a break in the line would allow sand and
large debris to enter the pipe and travel through the sewer system to the Sanitation
District sewage treatment plant. This debris, if allowed to enter the plant, will
damage the treatment facilities. A breach in the pipeline would also have significant
impacts on Inland Empire businesses.
To ensure the long-term integrity of the pipeline, protect public health and safeguard
the environment, the Orange County Flood Control District, in cooperation with the
Orange County Sanitation District and the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority,
has embarked on the Santa Ana River Interceptor Relocation Project. This project
will relocate and replace the SARI Mainline with a new 54-inch-diameter pipeline
on the south side of the river just north of and adjacent to the Riverside (91)
Freeway. In addition, a new 15-inch-diamenter gravity sewer will be constructed
under La Palma Avenue and the Santa Ana River Trail to convey sewage from the north
side of the river. This new pipeline will tie into the existing SARI Line behind
SAVI Ranch. These new locations will protect the pipeline from the stormwater flows
in the river.
The SARI Relocation Project is a component of the Santa Ana River Mainstem Project,
which extends 75 miles from the river's headwater east of the City of San Bernardino
to the mouth of the river at the Pacific Ocean between the cities of Newport Beach
and Huntington Beach. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the federal sponsor for
the Santa Ana River Mainstem Project under the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA)
of 1986.
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