The Examiner reports today that the city will begin mixing local, underground well water with the city’s usual Hetch Hetchy water supply.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission estimates that five underground wells could provide ten percent of the city’s drinking water. To make that happen, the Examiner says they’ll have to extract the well water “from the deeper portions of the northern half of the Westside Basin aquifer — wet, underground sediment that stretches from Golden Gate Park to San Francisco International Airport.”
Aside from receiving some of this hybrid drinking water, the Richmond District will also undergo significant construction for the project. Underground pipes will be built to tap into the wells to connect them to the Sunset or Sutro reservoir.
Why is the SFPUC messing with the great water we’ve been enjoying from Hetch Hetchy? The Examiner reports that the “SFPUC’s goal is to put a cap on the amount of water it outsources by 2018, by relying on local water for the increasing demand.”
SFPUC spokeswoman Suzanne Gautier assured the Examiner that the price and taste of the water should remain unchanged, noting that the SFPUC has performed taste tests. Gautier also says that the local water sources could come in handy. “San Francisco does not have any locally produced drinking water. It helps to provide a local supply, especially in the event of an emergency.”
Read the full story at sfexaminer.com
There have already been some outreach meetings in the Richmond District; if I hear of more I’ll let you know. Construction is not expected to begin until 2011.
The Planning Association is scheduled to hear a presentation from the SFPUC on April 21.
Sarah B.
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