A $20 million plan to increase the capacity of a leaky dam that supplies drinking water to Las Vegas has been scuttled because engineers found the costs would be much higher than expected.
The city hoped to significantly increase the capacity of the Peterson Dam and fix leaks that have plagued it for years. But an engineering report presented to city officials earlier this month found the site's geology meant the project's costs would go up by millions of dollars.
That's left city officials scrambling for options because the city needs increased storage to avoid rationing during severe droughts.
The City Council is now setting its sights on increasing the capacity of the city's second reservoir and plugging the leaks at Peterson Dam.
___
Information from: Las Vegas Optic, http://www.lasvegasoptic.com
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.