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PUC, Fire Department Back Option 12 to Extend High‑Pressure Emergency Water to Sunset and Richmond
Summary
PUC and the fire department recommended a looped "Option 12" potable AWSS that would extend high‑pressure firefighting lines to the Sunset and Richmond, at an estimated $109 million; the PUC has committed $40 million and seeks roughly $70 million more while independent reviewers urged phased, multi‑source redundancy including Lake Merced or a saltwater pump.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and the San Francisco Fire Department told the Government Audit & Oversight Committee on Feb. 7 that a looped “Option 12” potable auxiliary water supply system (AWSS) offers the best combination of coverage and redundancy to protect the Sunset and Richmond neighborhoods after a major earthquake. The project was recommended after hydraulic modelling and an independent expert review showed the existing AWSS would not provide adequate post‑quake pressure for those West Side districts.
PUC presentation: findings and recommendation
John Scarpuolo of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission said the city’s 2010 assessment of post‑earthquake firefighting capacity showed a citywide reliability score “of about 47%.” He told supervisors that PUC modelling of 12 options — seven expansions of the existing AWSS and five potable AWSS alternatives — found that only looped, redundant networks would meet the performance standards required by the fire department. “After the full completion of the projects that will be funded by the 2010 and 2014 EASER bonds, the citywide reliability will…
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