SFPUC reports drought status: 487,000 acre‑feet in storage; two major reliability projects advanced

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission received an update on the city’s water supply and drought response from AGM Steve Ritchie, who said the system is managing closely as the season turns dry and staff continue conservation outreach.

Ritchie reported that the utility has about "487,000 acre feet of drinking water in storage," described Hetch Hetchy Reservoir as "almost full at 96%" and said the Waterbank storage was "down at about 34.5%." He urged continued customer reductions of 10 percent to help avoid a 20 percent requirement next year and said conservation gains over the prior six weeks have been encouraging.

Ritchie described two drought‑relief capital efforts being accelerated: the Lower Cherry Aqueduct rehabilitation (a two‑phase program with a combined cost of about $18,000,000) and expedited improvements at the San Antonio Pump Station and the Sonol (Sono) Treatment Plant to add redundancy, upgrade pumps, controls and power service, and improve chemical feed and process systems. He said Phase 1 of the Lower Cherry work would repair the diversion point and clear tunnels damaged by the Rim Fire and could deliver water after Dec. 15, with Phase 2 (permanent diversion repairs and pipeline replacement) targeted to begin construction next spring for readiness by July next year.

On regulatory developments, Ritchie said the State Water Resources Control Board had issued curtailment notices to some water-rights holders and adopted emergency regulations on July 2; staff expected draft emergency urban‑use regulations to be released imminently and were in a conference call with state staff.

Ritchie closed by urging continued conservation efforts and offering to answer commissioners’ questions.