Utility Sued Over Northern California Canal Break

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. has been hit by a pair of lawsuits over its handling of a canal failure two years ago that forced thousands of Placer County residents to ration water.

The Sacramento Bee reported the suits were filed separately by the owners of properties abutting the canal in a remote area near Colfax.

They claim the utility failed to properly maintain the Bear River Canal, mishandled the response to the rupture and failed to adequately restore affected property afterward.

The lawsuits seek millions of dollars in damages.

A 2011 landslide broke a 40-foot section of the canal, depriving the agency of its main source of water.

Paul Moreno, a PG&E spokesman, says the utility responded quickly to the canal break and got the water flowing again ahead of schedule.