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SFPUC reports low snowpack and asks wholesale customers to cut water use 10%
Summary
Deputy manager Ellen Levin told the commission reservoir storage is 978,698 acre‑feet (67% of maximum) with snowpack about 22% of typical May levels; staff reiterated a voluntary 10% system demand reduction and said it will reassess the request on June 15.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission received a detailed water‑supply briefing on May 13 that highlighted unusually low snowpack, current reservoir storage and an ongoing call for voluntary conservation.
Ellen Levin, Deputy Manager for the Water Enterprise (acting for the AGM for Water), reported total reservoir storage of 978,698 acre‑feet, noting 416,000 acre‑feet is directly usable for drinking water and the storage level represents about 67% of maximum capacity. She said March precipitation at Hetch Hetchy was near 87% of average for that site while the local system saw roughly 65% of average precipitation; snowpack is tracking at about 22% of a typical May and much of the remaining snow lies above monitoring sensors, making melt projections uncertain.
Staff emphasized the system is operating with a Waterbank debit strategy to keep Hetch Hetchy storage elevated, and that releases from Cherry Reservoir are being managed to refill the Waterbank and meet district entitlements. The commission was shown delivery and demand plots; SFPUC’s target is a 10% systemwide voluntary demand reduction (from a projected 232 MGD to about 209 MGD average). Wholesale customers were urged to implement governor‑recommended drought measures and SFPUC will review weekly demand and reassess the reduction request on June 15.
Why it matters: Snowpack and reservoir levels drive summer reliability. With snowpack far below median and runoff limited by dry soils, the agency said demand reduction and targeted emergency rehabilitation projects (including the Lower Cherry Aqueduct) are key to managing risk.
Measures and next steps: Staff circulated a short list of high‑impact actions drawn from the April 25 governor’s drought proclamation—limit lawn watering, avoid washing sidewalks and driveways, turn off decorative fountains, and encourage hotels/restaurants to serve water only on request. Staff will continue releases to manage Cherry Reservoir targets (staff named a January 1 Cherry target of 150,000 acre‑feet) and will accelerate drought‑reliability projects and toilet‑replacement programs.
Public and commissioner response: Commissioners thanked staff for the update and underscored the gravity of a statewide drought. They asked staff to continue regular reporting and to coordinate communications to help meet the voluntary 10% target. The commission will revisit the reduction request after weekly monitoring and a formal reassessment on June 15.
Ending: The water supply update will inform budget prioritization, emergency capital work and public outreach through the coming dry season.
