According to KCRA, Bureau of Land Management crews have begun welding together pieces of 18-inch diameter pipe and using machines to snake the pipe down the face of Folsom Dam and into Folsom Lake, a key state reservoir that provides drinking water to thousands in the Sacramento region. Folsom Lake is nearing historic low water levels as a result of the ongoing drought in California.

Once the pipes are in place, a barge will pump water from the lake, over the dam and into a pipeline that leads to the city, KCRA reported. This will be how the city of Folsom gets its drinking water if the lake’s level drops below the city’s regular intake.