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SFPUC reports WICIP progress: 5 million worker-hours milestone, Bay Tunnel cutter head removed, public hearing set
Summary
SFPUC staff reported progress on the Water System Improvement Program, saying the program passed 5,000,000 worker-hours, the Bay Tunnel cutter head has been extracted with pipeline installation slated for May, and a public hearing on WICIP changes was noticed March 22 for April 23.
Julie LaVonte, presenting a Water System Improvement Program update to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, said the program has passed a milestone of 5,000,000 worker-hours and outlined near-term construction and environmental review steps. She said a notice of public hearing was published on March 22 and the hearing is scheduled for April 23.
LaVonte described recent project-level developments, including reaching an agreement on a change order tied to differing site conditions at the Calabres Dam sites after a two-month negotiation. She reported that "we have extracted the cutter head of the tunnel" from the Bay Tunnel and that pipeline installation inside the tunnel is planned to start in May. LaVonte said a redesign of the manifold and portal structure at the Alameda West Portal related to the new Irvington Tunnel will allow inspections of the existing tunnel at no cost to the utility.
Staff also told the commission that the San Antonio backup pipeline issued a construction notice to proceed and that only three projects remain in active construction. The Peninsula Pipeline Seismic Upgrade environmental impact report (EIR) was issued in mid-March with public comments due in April, and the Regional Groundwater Storage and Recovery project EIR was scheduled to be issued the following day with a May comment deadline. LaVonte noted construction and operations teams are balancing activities to minimize operational risks; she said some performance testing at the Sonold treatment plant has been delayed and the plant must remain operational, drawing down local reservoirs amid a dry spring.
Commissioners asked clarifying questions about the program schedule and safety record. LaVonte noted the program-level safety performance is "well below 50% the national averages" for incident rates in heavy construction and highlighted the importance of continued coordination with operations staff. The commission did not take separate action on the presentation; the next procedural step is the public hearing on April 23 and the posted EIR comment deadlines for the listed projects.
