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Resident urges SFPUC to reconsider detention tank at Folsom and 17th after repeated sewer flooding
Summary
A San Francisco resident asked the Public Utilities Commission to reconsider a proposed sewer overflow/detention tank at Folsom and 17th streets, saying existing barriers and backflow devices have failed and that buildings repeatedly flood with sewer water; staff said the tank is currently off the table while a comprehensive study is prepared.
Mary Ann Robertson, a resident, told the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission that repeated sewer and stormwater flooding at the corner of Folsom and Seventeenth streets has caused sanitary sewage to back up into buildings and onto streets and urged the agency to reconsider placing a detention/overflow tank at that site. "The solutions that have been put forward ... are not functioning," Robertson said, describing multiple floods in December and asserting that flood barriers and backflow restrictors have not prevented sewer water from entering buildings.
The commission's wastewater staff said the city uses a combined sewer system and is preparing a comprehensive report that will examine a range of potential fixes. A staff member noted the detention tank at Seventeenth and Folsom had been studied previously but "didn't address all the questions that you're raising" and said management will have a more comprehensive plan shortly. Communications director Tyrone Joo was offered as a contact to keep Robertson informed.
During the exchange, staff described the complexity of responses in combined‑sewer areas and emphasized that multiple options remain under review; they also said the specific detention tank that had been studied is "completely off the table at this point in time." The commission did not take action on the request at the meeting. Robertson asked that any long‑term fixes be considered before the city completes multi‑year sewer upgrades, saying the current interim measures are insufficient.
The matter was raised during the meeting's public comment period; staff committed to follow up with the resident and to include district‑level solutions in an upcoming report.
