Just days after a state energy commission halted helicopter use on SDG&E's Sunrise Powerlink, complaints about the project continue to flood in. Now, some residents are accusing the utility company of "assaulting" the city's water reservoirs.

During a meeting of the Natural Resources and Culture Committee, longtime resident and member of the Navajo Community Planners, John Pilch, claimed that SDG&E water trucks can be seen at fire hydrants along Lake Murray Boulevard daily. The trucks, said Pilch, damage roads and create an overall nuisance for residents.

"I'm here to bring attention to the assault on our community by the water trucks hired by SDG&E. The trucks are hauling 300,000 [gallons of] drinking water to the Sunrise Powerlink in East County," Pilch told committee members.

Pilch said the number of trucks in the San Carlos neighborhood have doubled since last March.

"We have anywhere from five to twelve big tankers parked on Lake Murray Boulevard waiting to fill up."

In an email, SDG&E spokesperson April Bolduc confirms that the utility company gets water from both the city and from the Padre Dam Municipal Water District, but she says the water usage has been approved by the state energy commission.

"SDG&E uses that amount of water daily for dust mitigation, soil compaction, and other construction-related activities that are required for the project," said Bolduc. "The majority of customer complaints we saw were from local residents not wanting us to use nearby well water, which is why we do not use well water."

After hearing the complaints from Pilch, committee members asked the Mayor's office to look into SDG&E's water use.