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SFPUC details storm response: sandbags, drain-adoption and a pilot flood barrier at Seventeenth and Folsom
Summary
SFPUC staff reported active storm operations on Jan. 10: distribution of more than 1,100 sandbags by PUC crews, large public participation in the adopt-a-drain program, and a pilot flood-barrier deployment in a previously flooded commercial corridor.
General Manager Harlan Kelly updated the commission on the agency's storm response and flood-prevention efforts during the January meeting. Kelly said SFPUC staff and crews have been operating 24/7 to respond to localized flooding, distribute sandbags, and support training for residents who have "adopted" storm drains. "We have been handing out over 1,100 bags," Kelly said, noting the Department of Public Works and other agencies also distributed sandbags.
Kelly described a pilot of removable flood barriers installed at Seventeenth and Folsom that have been staffed around the clock since deployment; staff remove barriers during business hours to allow customer access and re-install them for high tide or storm conditions. He reported treatment plants functioning at capacity and limited localized flooding but said the pilot has not yet been fully tested under a major event.
Commissioners thanked staff for the response, and asked clarifying questions about public outreach and coordination with newly elected Board of Supervisors members. Kelly said SFPUC will continue outreach and keep supervisors apprised of localized flooding risks and mitigation steps.
