McKinleyville Weighs Second Water Pipeline Under Mad River
Mad River Union reported on Nov. 6, 2025 that McKinleyville officials are again considering a project to add a second water pipeline beneath the Mad River, aiming to avoid a single point of failure. The proposal matters to more than 17,000 residents who rely on the current single main pipeline because a major earthquake or flood could sever the line and cut water service to the town.
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McKinleyville officials have reopened discussions about installing a second water pipeline under the Mad River, according to reporting by the Mad River Union on Nov. 6, 2025. The existing single main pipeline provides water service to much of the town. Local leaders and engineers say that if a major earthquake or flood severs that line, more than 17,000 residents could be left without adequate water.
The proposal is not new. The question of redundancy and resilience for McKinleyville’s water system has circulated in public forums and planning meetings for decades. The current round of consideration focuses on technical feasibility, permitting requirements and how to pay for a multi million dollar infrastructure investment. Officials are weighing engineering options that would place a secondary conduit below the river, while evaluating potential environmental reviews and state and federal permits that could be required.
Engineering concerns in the discussions include the physical risks posed by seismic activity and river flows, and how construction could be staged to minimize disruption. Cost estimates have not been finalized and will depend on route selection, construction methods and permit conditions. The reporting notes that cost and permit questions are central to whether the project will move forward this cycle or remain on the long term planning list.
Local impact would be significant if the project proceeds. A second line would reduce the single point of failure that currently exposes residents and businesses to a sudden loss of potable water in the wake of a natural disaster. For households, medical facilities and public services that depend on continuous water supply, redundancy is a matter of public safety and resilience. Conversely, the price tag and the timeline for environmental permitting mean that community leaders must balance immediate fiscal constraints with the future benefits of a more robust water system.
Next steps outlined by officials include further engineering studies, cost estimates and preliminary discussions about potential funding sources. Those conversations could involve local budgeting decisions, grant possibilities from state and federal resilience programs and consideration of long term borrowing. Community input is expected to play a role as planners refine options and present proposals for public review.
The renewed attention to a second pipeline reflects broader concerns in Humboldt County about adapting infrastructure to heightened seismic and climate related risks. For McKinleyville residents, the central question remains whether the town can translate decades of discussion into concrete steps that will protect water service when the next major earthquake or flood arrives.
