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PUC asks committee to approve emergency repairs to Tesla treatment facility; agency acknowledges maintenance lapse
Summary
The Public Utilities Commission requested emergency authorization to repair flywheel and UPS equipment at the Tesla treatment facility after a unit failure; the presenter acknowledged lapsed maintenance contracts and the Budget Analyst lowered the estimated emergency cost.
The Public Utilities Commission requested committee approval of an emergency declaration to repair and service the flywheel uninterruptible power supply units that support the Tesla ultraviolet-disinfection facility for the Hetch Hetchy regional water system.
Steve Ritchie summarized the technical issue: the flywheel units, which spin to provide immediate power and conditioning while diesel generators come online, experienced a failure discovered last April and were shut down after a manufacturer assessment determined continued operation posed a safety risk. Ritchie said repairs required specialized contractors and that the PUC’s prior maintenance contract for the facility had lapsed, a lapse he said his organization accepts responsibility for.
The Budget Legislative Analyst recommended reducing the estimated emergency appropriation from $500,000 to $322,000 based on the department’s materials, and noted that had a maintenance contract been current the emergency may have been avoidable. The committee adopted the BLA-recommended cost amendment and forwarded the item with a positive recommendation.
Why it matters: The Tesla facility provides ultraviolet disinfection for the Hetch Hetchy water supply; uninterrupted and properly conditioned power is a critical element of that treatment process, and the equipment failure highlighted a maintenance oversight the PUC said it will address going forward.
Next steps: The Board will consider the amended emergency declaration and the PUC will pursue new maintenance contracting and a review of other recent facilities to avoid similar lapses.
