Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water System topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board committee approves $55.1M Calaveras Dam appropriation after landslide discovery
Summary
SFPUC told the Budget & Finance Committee construction at Calaveras Dam uncovered a previously uncharted historic landslide, prompting a redesign and an estimated $55.1 million program overrun; the committee approved a bond appropriation and reallocations to cover the cost without a rate increase.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission told the Budget & Finance Committee on June 5 that construction work on the Calaveras Dam replacement uncovered a historic underground landslide, forcing a redesign and increasing program costs and schedule.
Emilio Cruz, SFPUC Assistant General Manager for Infrastructure, said the Water System Improvement Program (WSIP) is about 72 percent complete but two regional projects—Calaveras Dam replacement and the Alameda Creek recapture project—had major scope changes. "In construction, we actually found an underground landslide," Cruz said, explaining the team redesigned the excavation and moved roughly 3,000,000 additional cubic yards of soil. He said the change increased the schedule by about eight months and raised program costs by $55,100,000.
Cruz said SFPUC negotiated change orders with contractors and proposes to appropriate $55,100,000 in water revenue bond proceeds for the Calaveras project while reprogramming other WSIP funds to balance the 10-year CIP so there is "no net additional funds necessary and there is no impact to the rate payers." Budget analyst Mr. Rose outlined reallocations and a requested supplemental appropriation ($74,353,687 cited in the report for the Calaveras budget increase) and recommended approval.
Committee members asked for context about earlier actions on Calaveras; SFPUC staff said they had previously identified the problem and increased the budget before finalizing contractor negotiations. The committee moved and approved the appropriation ordinance without recorded opposition.
Next steps: the ordinance will proceed to the full Board of Supervisors for final action.
