San Luis Obispo County residents could be on the hook for $6 million to repair the Oroville Dam

Water users in San Luis Obispo County will likely be on the hook for a portion of the costs of the 2017 crisis at Oroville Dam that’s surged past $1 billion — and it could run into the millions.

On Wednesday, the state Department of Water Resources revealed a $1.1 billion cost estimate for the massive repair work at America’s tallest dam. The cost of the emergency response, and the subsequent repairs to the dam’s two flood-control spillways, has periodically risen since officials made their initial estimates following the crisis, which triggered the evacuation of 188,000 residents.

DWR spokeswoman Erin Mellon, citing the enormity of the repair project, told reporters on a conference call that cost estimates “may be adjusted further” as work continues into 2019. DWR said it expects to have the dam’s two spillways substantially rebuilt by Nov. 1 and ready for the winter rains.

The state expects the federal government to pick up the lion’s share of the costs. If that doesn’t happen, local agencies in the county could be responsible for as much as a combined $6 million if the cost is divided between agencies based on use, according to calculations by the deputy director of county Public Works Mark Hutchinson.

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