On October 30, 2008 the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
(SFPUC) approved a $4.4 billion Water System Improvement Program (WSIP)
that will upgrade the Hetch Hetchy system to enable it to withstand a
major earthquake. As part of the WSIP, the SFPUC had been proposing to divert an additional 25 million gallons of water per day from the Tuolumne River, but in the end, after a multi-year campaign by the Bay Area Water Stewards (a coalition of environmental groups which is coordinated by the Tuolumne River Trust) the SFPUC finally adopted a "Phased WSIP" alternative, in which they agreed to cap water sales at current levels until at least 2018.
This is a major victory for the wild and scenic Tuolumne River and the first time the SFPUC has had a cap on water sales. View WSIP Campaign Archive
2.4 million people in the San Francisco Bay Area consume Tuolumne River water. The Tuolumne River Trust advocates that the City of San Francisco, which manages the Hetch Hetchy Water System, act as a good steward of the River. We encourage the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) and it's wholesale customers to pursue a sustainable water plan that: a) makes needed system repairs; b) includes an environmental improvements component to fund restoration and protection efforts; and c) meets new water needs through conservation, efficiency, and recycling. We expect San Francisco and neighboring communities to serve as a model for other regions of the state and country.
Now that there is a cap on water sales until at least 2018, the Trust is partnering with the SFPUC and the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BAWSCA) which represents the SFPUC's 27 wholesale customers, to promote water conservation and recycling. We are doing so in the following ways:
Promoting a "cap & trade" water market system that will allow agencies to buy and sell water allocations and thus drive innovation.
Encouraging all BAWSCA member agencies to join the California Urban Water Conservation Council (CUWCC) and to pursue its Best Management Practices.
Lobbying cities to adopt "retrofit on resale" ordinances that require upgrades of water deviced prior to sales of property.
Educating residents about the connection between their water consumption and the the health of the Tuolumne River, and encouraging water conservation.
Coordinating a water conservation and recycling awards program for World Water Day - March 22.
Initiating an Earth Day Challenge among cities that measures progress on water conservation and recycling, and rewards innovative programs and practices.
Creating and distributing curriculum to schools to foster awareness among students about where their water comes from and how they can help protect the Tuolumne River through water conservation.
Overseeing Tuolumne River Tap Water stations at events around the Bay Area.
The Tuolumne River Trust works with an alliance of
community and environmental organizations -- the Bay Area Water
Stewards -- to promote a sustainable water plan that invests in water
conservation and environmental stewardship.
Highlights of our
accomplishments include convincing the SFPUC to:
Drop plans to divert an additional 25 million gallons of water per day from the Tuolumne River, and instead meet future demand through water conservation and recycling until at least 2018.
Forego plans to construct a new 47-mile pipeline under the San Joaquin Valley that would have allowed 50% more water to be diverted from the Tuolumne River
Encourage your city council to take on an Earth Day project focusing on water conservation.
Encourage your city council to host a study session on water policies and practices. For an example from Menlo Park, click here.
Volunteer for the Tuolumne River Trust - for more information or to be added to our volunteer contact list, contact Bay Area Organizer Jessie Raeder at jessie@tuolumne.org or call 415-882-7252 ext. 301.
