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Residents and a retired SFFD chief urge expansion of auxiliary water system and use of seawater for post‑quake fires
Summary
Public commenters urged the Disaster Council to prioritize a plan to extend San Francisco's Auxiliary Water Supply System (AWSS) citywide and to consider seawater and nonpotable sources for post‑earthquake firefighting; a retired SFFD deputy chief argued current SFPUC plans relying on potable reservoirs are inadequate.
Several members of the public told the Disaster Council the city needs a comprehensive plan and timeline to expand the Auxiliary Water Supply System (AWSS) and to ensure sufficient nonpotable water supplies for firefighting after a major earthquake.
Nancy Werfel told the council that at the June 15 meeting she had raised concerns that "there was no comprehensive plan and no timeline for extending the original auxiliary water system supply to all the existing residential neighborhoods that are currently underserved." Werfel urged the council to prioritize AWSS expansion, including pump stations at the ocean and seawater use, and requested that the Department of Emergency Management, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) and the San Francisco Fire Department present a coordinated plan at a future meeting.
Tom Duthier, a retired assistant deputy chief from the San Francisco Fire Department, argued that relying on potable water in the city's terminal reservoirs is risky after a regional disaster because state water code requires sharing water with wholesale customers; he said "the only thing that will save San Francisco... will be our unlimited supply of seawater and a high pressure hydrant system extended to all neighborhoods of the city."
Why it matters: The comments raise questions about the city's long‑term strategies for firefighting after a major earthquake, the resiliency of potable infrastructure, and tradeoffs between potable and nonpotable water sources for emergency use.
Next steps: Speakers requested a special agenda item for the next Disaster Council meeting with presentations from DEM, SFPUC and SFFD to explain current plans, redundancy measures and timelines; the council did not adopt a specific follow‑up at this meeting but public commenters said they would seek that agenda item.
Attribution: Public comments and direct quotes are drawn from remarks by Nancy Werfel and Tom Duthier during public comment at the Disaster Council meeting.
