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SFPUC presents emergency firefighting water system plan; West Side coverage, cisterns and $4 billion buildout discussed
Summary
Assistant General Manager Steve Ritchie outlined San Francisco's Emergency Firefighting Water System (EFWS), describing high‑ and low‑pressure hydrants, cisterns, pump stations and a 2021 planning estimate that full city coverage could cost at least $4 billion by 2046; commissioners discussed interim cistern use and a $145 million potable share in the 10‑year CIP.
Steve Ritchie, Assistant General Manager for Water, gave an overview of San Francisco's Emergency Firefighting Water System (EFWS), explaining its purpose, components and recent upgrades. He described three primary water sources for the EFWS (Twin Peaks Reservoir, Ashbury Tank and Jones Street Tank), a high‑pressure network of hydrants (approximately 1,300) and 8,552 low‑pressure hydrants attached to the potable system. Ritchie said the city has about 9,887 total hydrants and described a network of buried cisterns—70,000‑gallon tanks—used as a last line of defense; he noted…
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