Water Being Removed From Landslide Area At 200 Gallons Per Minute

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA — The first two dewatering wells have been installed in the Portuguese Bend Landslide area and are pumping out water at a combined rate of about 200 gallons per minute, city officials said.

The Rancho Palos Verdes City Council approved the Portuguese Bend Landslide Remediation Emergency Hydraugers Project in May. While digging boreholes to understand underground conditions, the city discovered there was a deeper and quicker slide plane.

Due to the unprecedented rate of movement brought on by the deeper slide plane, the landslide remediation strategy changed to first address the issue. The city decided that deep de-watering wells need to be installed to penetrate the deeper slide plane and relieve water pressure.

Two dewatering wells have been installed already, with the third expected to be fully installed by the end of the week, according to the city.

Officials are also drilling boreholes near the dewatering wells to measure water pressure. Drilling of the first borehole is also expected to be completed this week, the city said.

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• Bicycles And Motorcycles Banned In Palos Verdes Landslide Area
• Disassembly Begins For Wayfarers Chapel To Save It From Destruction
• 'Getting Worse By The Day': Palos Verdes' Fast-Moving Landslide
• $23M Grant Will Help Address Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex