Drops in the bucket adding up: Silicon Valley dam expansion’s rising price tag scrutinized

RESIDENTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL activists continue to scrutinize the Santa Clara Valley Water District’s plans to expand a regional dam.

Valley Water employees presented updates and fielded questions about the controversial Pacheco Dam expansion — including questions about costs. The project’s estimated cost is $2.78 billion, but factoring financing and other contingencies could escalate the price tag to $5.5 billion. The Valley Water board of directors is slated to receive a more in-depth series of presentations in the coming months before making a final decision.