SFPUC reports $4 billion water capital program on track; Sonoma ozone and emergency firefighting projects highlighted

City staff presented a combined update on the Water Enterprise Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and the Water System Improvement Program (WESIP) for the third quarter of fiscal year 2024–25.

"The regional and local water enterprise capital improvement programs include a total of 52 projects with a combined budget of $4,000,000,000," said Katie Miller, director of water capital programs. Miller said the report includes budgets and schedules adopted by the commission and a single mid‑cycle budget increase of $74 million for the Sonoma Valley Water Treatment Plant Ozone Project adopted in February 2025.

The nut graf: staff reported program-wide spending of about 34 percent to date, noted that most projects are tracking to budget with an approximately $7 million forecasted cost increase across active projects, and highlighted a handful of regional and local projects now in construction or nearing completion.

Staff gave updates on several major projects. Miller said the Sonoma Valley Water Treatment Plant Ozone Project has spent about $35 million of an approximately $326 million budget and is completing early site preparation and utility work. The project team identified unforeseen utility conflicts at a crowded site, staff said, and is coordinating to complete connections before an upcoming Hetch Hetchy system shutdown.

Miller also summarized the Emergency Firefighting Water System program, a programmatic project with a $154 million budget funded by the 2020 Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response General Fund bonds. "Of this funding, $36,000,000 has been spent to date," she said. Subprojects include the Clarendon supply nearing closeout and planning for multiple fire‑boat manifold improvements; the larger portion of the budget will fund new seismically reliable firefighting pipelines that can also serve potable demand day to day.

Commissioners asked detailed questions about prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP) on Bay Division pipeline 4, whether repair or replacement is advisable, and about continuing delays on the Westside recycled water project. Miller said the project team is reconsidering whether full replacement is appropriate for some stretches of PCCP because of slope and environmental sensitivity, and that corrosion and variable‑speed drive issues are contributors to delays on the Westside project.

Staff said the regional program component of WESIP — a separate regional portfolio of 52 projects with a $3.8 billion budget — is 99 percent complete with only about $62 million unspent and four projects remaining to finish. The groundwater storage and recovery project was reported at 91 percent complete.

The presentation concluded with a request for questions; no public commenters spoke on these items at the meeting.

Ending: Commissioners thanked staff for the update and requested continued monitoring of high‑cost pipeline decisions and the Westside recycled water facility schedule.