Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Supply topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
SFPUC reports big water‑storage gains after wet October; system storage at 77.6%
Summary
Deputy manager Ellen Levin told the commission that total system storage is 77.6% and the Water Bank is 82.7% after an unusually wet October; staff noted Hetch Hetchy precipitation is tracking near the wettest year on record and deliveries to customers have dropped as the city responds to wet weather.
Deputy Manager for Water Ellen Levin told commissioners the city’s water system showed notable improvement compared with last year after an unusually wet October.
Levin reported total system storage at 77.6 percent and Water Bank storage at 82.7 percent, large increases from the same time last year (total system 45.4 percent; Water Bank 32.6 percent). She said Hetch Hetchy precipitation for the water year is tracking near the wettest year on record (1983) and that some reservoirs in the state are at or above 100 percent of their historical average for this time of year. Staff also noted 79,000 acre‑feet is already available to San Francisco and local precipitation for the Bay Area is well above typical seasonal norms.
Commissioners asked whether the current conditions reflect El Niño or La Niña; Levin said climate indicators do not clearly show either condition at present. A member of the public asked whether the 79,000 acre‑foot figure would remain if no more rain arrives; staff confirmed the figure is the present inventory and would not increase without inflows.
What it means: higher reservoir levels improve near‑term supply resilience but staff emphasized ongoing monitoring, noted the timing of future storms will affect inflows to local reservoirs, and recommended continued reporting as conditions evolve.
No formal action was required on the drought update; commissioners thanked staff and asked follow‑up questions about long‑term trends and hydrologic forecasting.
