SFPUC approves $57 million in groundwater contracts to bolster drought resilience

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission voted to approve two major contracts aimed at strengthening local drought response: WD2621R, a $14,995,100 contract to construct groundwater wells, and WD2668, a $42,000,980.47 contract for a regional groundwater project that will be activated during droughts.

Assistant General Manager for Water Steve Ritchie briefed commissioners on the projects and the broader water picture. He said residential per‑capita use in the Bay Area has fallen to roughly 45 gallons per day and that the systemwide conservation effort saved almost 10 billion gallons in 2014. Despite conservation gains, Ritchie said storage and available Tuolumne River water will determine whether the city can ease the 10% demand reduction requirement.

Ritchie said the groundwater wells (WD2621R) are expected to be constructed over the next two years, with groundwater available for customers thereafter, and that the regional groundwater project (WD2668) operates as an offset program: groundwater is pumped directly into customer systems when needed, reducing demand on Hetch Hetchy supplies rather than being stored onsite.

Commissioners asked staff to provide clear timelines and to report on activation criteria; both motions carried on voice votes. Staff noted that the exact amount of water available from Tuolumne River flows will affect whether the 10% demand reduction continues into later months.

The awards advance drought reliability measures the commission has discussed previously, and staff said they will return with construction schedules and periodic budget updates.