PUC reviews drought and storage status; commissioners approve consent items and an MOU with PG&E

At the Oct. 14 meeting the general manager and water staff reported on drought conditions and system storage. Steve Ritchie, assistant general manager for water, said Hetch Hetchy Reservoir was at 76.6% of maximum storage, total-system storage about 58% and the water bank around 42% (roughly 224,000 acre-feet). He said the system had achieved about 7.6 billion gallons of water savings toward the commissions 10% demand-reduction goal for the prior water year and that staff is planning for contingencies should dry conditions require further reductions (20% or higher scenarios).

Ritchie said snowpack remains at near zero and that reservoir and groundwater projects are core storage strategies. Commissioners asked about rain-capture measures and whether additional storage or programs such as rain-barrel expansion and groundwater replenishment could help; staff said those are being advanced alongside EIP projects.

On motions and votes, the commission approved most of the consent calendar by single vote; they removed item 9e for separate consideration (see related article). The commission also approved an MOU to coordinate field operations between SFPUC crews and PG&E crews on gas pipeline installations, approved Amendment No. 3 to agreement PS108, and authorized sale and vacation of an approximately 999-square-foot sanitary sewer easement at 98 Crown Terrace.

The commission entered closed session to consider pending litigation (items listed on the agenda) and later reconvened, announcing that item 16 had been settled and items 15, 17, 18 and 19 required no action; the commission voted not to disclose closed-session details.