By 2014, the system that provides some of the world’s best drinking water to 2.4 million people in four Bay Area counties should be safe, reliable, and strong enough to resist earthquakes on the three major faults that cross its pipelines and tunnels.
In back-to-back meetings Oct. 30, two San Francisco agencies officially launched the $4.3-billion project to restore and strengthen the aging system that brings water 167 miles from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park to faucets in San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Alameda counties.
First, the San Francisco Planning Commission unanimously approved the final program environmental impact report for the massive set of 37 regional projects. Then, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission formally adopted a variation of its water system improvement program. Each hearing took three hours with close to 40 speakers in an overflowing room.
Hillsborough Councilman John Fannon spoke for many when he said, “I want desperately to see it completed before the next major earthquake.”
While there was near-unanimity on the importance of fixing the water delivery system as soon as possible — a break could be catastrophic — there are still major disagreements. These focus primarily on how to balance the growing demand for water to serve Bay Area growth against the need to preserve the Tuolumne River from further diversions, which damage the already-collapsing salmon run.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission responded to the opposition to diversions from the Tuolumne River by adopting a variant to the water system improvement program that will delay decisions about expanding the water supply until 2018.
For the next 10 years, San Francisco and the 27 suburban water agencies that buy its water wholesale will have to stay within the current 265 million gallons per day that can be delivered. Any growth in water demand will have to be met by conservation, water recycling, and groundwater projects.
Except during droughts. Then the plan allows for an additional two million gallons per day to be diverted from the Tuolumne River, and for water to be cut off from San Jose and Santa Clara, which have some other water supplies.
From 2008 to 2018
Dozens of speakers at the October hearing highlighted tough issues that have to be confronted in the next 10 years, before the 2018 deadline.
The most immediate problems relate to building up water-saving programs to stay within the current allocation while the communities that depend on San Francisco continue to grow; and how to keep enough water flowing if the drought continues.
For 2018 and beyond, planners will have to tackle these same problems for the longer term, until 2030, when the projected need is for 300 million gallons per day. Plus, they need to confront the prospect of continued global warming that could drastically reduce the snow pack on which California farms, cities and economy depend.
Supporters of the Tuolumne River strongly opposed diverting any more water, even for drought. The river is already losing 60 percent of its water on average, they say, some to the Bay Area, and most to the Modesto and Turlock irrigation districts for agriculture.
Art Jensen, executive director of the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency, which represents San Francisco’s wholesale customers, urged working out a solution with the agricultural users.
Salmon, which are a keystone species, have declined 99 percent in the Tuoloumne in the last 10 years, said one speaker. Just 211 were counted last year.
Palo Alto Councilman Peter Drekmeier, Bay Area program director for the Tuolumne River Trust, particularly objected to diverting another two million gallons a day in case of drought. This is when the salmon need the water most, he said.
Many speakers promoted more effective ways of saving water, ranging from more recycling plants, to pricing water at its real value.
A Pacifica resident reported seeing water running down the street and people hosing cars. “Price water so people stop wasting it,” he said.
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