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SFPUC: Hetch Hetchy storage okay but Water Bank falling; staff proposes deeper retail conservation
Summary
SFPUC staff told the commission that Hetch Hetchy is at about 77% storage but interagency Water Bank is down to ~154,000 acre-feet and likely to fall further; the State Water Board adopted statewide retail reduction rules May 5 and staff proposes a 10% retail goal and a 25% dedicated irrigation cut with excess-use charges.
Assistant General Manager for Water Steve Ritchie briefed the commission on drought operations and state action, emphasizing that local reservoir levels do not by themselves indicate system sufficiency.
Ritchie said Hetch Hetchy storage was about 77 percent and that local Peninsula reservoirs (San Antonio, Crystal Springs, San Andreas) were high by design. "We make sure that if there is available storage capacity down here in the Bay Area, that we actually bring excess water from Hetch Hetchy down here and store it in our local reservoirs," he said, explaining the operational rationale for keeping local reservoirs fuller even during a drought.
At the same time staff reported that the State Water Resources Control Board on May 5 adopted regulations requiring reductions in retail delivered water by each retailer, ranging from 8 percent to 36 percent based on 2013 per capita residential use. Ritchie said San Francisco's required reduction under the state rule is 8 percent but that staff is proposing a more conservative 10 percent target for retail customers and a 25 percent reduction for dedicated irrigation accounts, with excess‑use charges for irrigation above that threshold.
Ritchie also highlighted system metrics: the regional Water Bank (an interagency storage facility) had dropped to about 154,000 acre-feet and, because the bank has been used to meet district deliveries, could fall below 100,000 acre-feet if trends continue. He noted groundwater monitoring and a nascent groundwater well program on the west side of the city, and said leak identification and repair and a public outreach campaign were planned to preserve supplies.
Commissioners and public commenters raised perception issues: Carla Jones, a resident, said high local reservoir levels (Crystal Springs) give customers the impression there is no drought, a point staff acknowledged and asked the public information office to address.
Staff said they expect to return on May 26 with an item reflecting state action and the commission's consideration of a retail 10 percent reduction goal consistent with state requirements and local circumstances.
