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Annual Report for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2013
Investing for the
next 100 years
Water System Improvement Program
(WSIP)
Sewer System Improvement Program
(SSIP)
The $4.6 billion Water System Improvement Program
has upgraded our regional and local water systems, and
enhanced our ability to provide reliable, affordable, highquality drinking water in an environmentally sustainable
manner, as evidenced by our resilience during the Rim Fire.
The program is structured to cost-effectively meet water
quality requirements, improve seismic and delivery reliability,
and meet water supply objectives.
Now that we are nearing completion of critical upgrades for
our water system, we must focus on another foundation of
our City, our sewer system. With nearly 1,000 miles of sewers
– 60% over 80 years old – and aging treatment plants, the
Sewer System Improvement Program will address the needs
of our City’s aging sewer infrastructure and ensure continued
protection of public health and the environment. Many of the
existing facilities have not been upgraded and are in need of
major improvement, such as the solids-handling system at
the Southeast Water Pollution Control Plant.
Construction is well under way or completed on 62 of
82 WSIP projects as of June 2013, and we have started up
new facilities. The final local project, the seismic retrofit of
Sutro Reservoir, is now 50% complete. At the regional level,
WSIP celebrated major milestones including the boring
of the first tunnel under the Bay nearly six months ahead
of schedule and the completion of upgrades to the Sunol
Valley Water Treatment Plant. WSIP also launched its most
technically challenging seismic upgrade project that will
create a new pipeline crossing the Hayward Fault that
can shift up to 6.5 feet during an earthquake. In October
2013, the New Irvington Tunnel approached the final
hole-through after two and a half years of digging. Both
the Bay and New Irvington tunnels will be lifeline facilities
after an earthquake.
Upgraded Sunol Valley Water Treatment Plant
In spring 2013, our Commission approved the consulting
services for the planning and design of the Biosolids Digester
Facilities Project. This initial phase of the overall 20-year
program will upgrade treatment plants and address Bayside
collection system issues, help mitigate flooding, and
implement sustainable stormwater management practices
throughout the City.
Other projects under way this year at our Southeast Water
Pollution Control Plant have already increased seismic
reliability, enhanced facility reliability and provided
critical redundancy.
Green Infrastructure
With the Rim Fire approaching Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and
burning out of control, concerns turned toward water quality.
Fortunately, our Sunol Valley Water Treatment Plant WSIP
upgrades were complete, ensuring the capacity to serve
all our customers with local supplies should Hetch Hetchy
be impacted.
Ultimately, ash deposition in the reservoir was minimal
and had no impact on water quality.
Rim Fire
To lessen the burden of stormwater on our sewer system,
we are currently planning the design of eight green
infrastructure projects located throughout the City,
with one in each of the City’s distinct watersheds.
Green infrastructure projects can