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Resident urges Disaster Council to prioritize expansion of auxiliary firefighting water system
Summary
During public comment Nancy Werfel urged the council to develop a comprehensive plan and financing mechanism to extend the Auxiliary Water Supply System (AWSS) to underserved neighborhoods, warning that western and southern districts lack seismically resistant firefighting water infrastructure and that relying on potable reservoir storage is insufficient for catastrophic fires.
Nancy Werfel, speaking during public comment, told the Disaster Council there is "no comprehensive plan and no timeline for extending the original auxiliary water supply system to all of the existing residential neighborhoods that are currently underserved." She said western and southern parts of the city lack seismically resistant high‑pressure, high‑volume hydrants and pipes needed for post‑quake firefighting and urged the council to prioritize completing the AWSS extension.
Werfel warned the council against relying on potable storage in the Sunset Reservoir's North Basin for firefighting, calling that approach an "untried proposal" and saying it risks using drinking‑water reservoirs to supply firefighting needs in catastrophic conditions. She asked the council to convene an AWSS finance working group, similar to the Seawall working group, to identify funding and accelerate buildout. The council acknowledged the comment; no formal action was taken during the meeting.
The comment is in the public‑record portion of the meeting and the council did not dispute the characterization of gaps; staff and members accepted Werfel's request for consideration and follow‑up.
