Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Awss topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
PUC details earthquake-hardened auxiliary water system and cistern plan
Summary
Assistant GM Steve Ritchie updated the commission on the Auxiliary Water Supply System (AWSS): system components, bond-funded upgrades from a $104 million bond, a planning study for 15 cistern designs and pump-station work, and coordination with the fire department on emergency response.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission received an update on the Auxiliary Water Supply System (AWSS) on May 8, describing the system’s role in earthquake resilience and near-term bond-funded upgrades.
Steve Ritchie, assistant general manager for water, recounted AWSS history and components: the system was transferred to SFPUC operations in 2002, includes about 135 miles of large, seismic-resistant pipelines, Twin Peaks Reservoir and other tanks, two pump stations that can pump bay water, and roughly 199 cisterns scattered through the city. Ritchie emphasized that AWSS infrastructure is designed to withstand major earthquakes and that portions of the system have been cleaned and restored (Twin Peaks Reservoir was recently cleaned and received a large new intake).
Ritchie said the 2002 earthquake safety and emergency response bond included about $104,000,000 for AWSS improvements. Near-term work in the current planning year includes conceptual engineering and cost-estimating for Pump Station No. 1, pump-station intake dredging and sediment removal for Pump Station No. 2, design for about 15 new cisterns and a draft implementation study to support a potential November 2013 bond measure for follow-up work.
Public commenter Morton (SPUR Disaster Planning Committee) urged accelerating cistern installation and integrating the AWSS into other city supply systems (Lake Merced, Sunset Reservoir) to improve coverage for underprotected neighborhoods. Ritchie and staff said the program’s steering and technical committees are coordinating with the fire department (AWSS’s primary customer) and expect some construction to proceed in 2013–2014.
Next steps: continue the implementation study, finalize conceptual engineering and cost estimates, and pursue design and construction for selected cisterns and pump-station work in the coming year.
