Chinook salmon in the Tuolumne.

MEDIA CENTER - Press

SFPUC's plans for water system matter in valley
Source: Modesto Bee
September 16, 2005

The big picture of San Francisco's plans for seismic improvements to its Hetch Hetchy water system is coming into focus. And it's not exactly what we expected to see.

Last week, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission released its scoping document for the $4.3 billion project. The most important statement in the plan was: "The SFPUC has also determined that the current regional system cannot...meet expected increases in customer water purchases through the planning year of 2030."

The scoping document then details three plans for making up a 35 million-gallon-a-day shortfall — two of which include taking more water from the Tuolumne River. Two of the plans include provisions for increased conservation by Bay Area users — which we heartily endorse.

In the past, the SFPUC always had insisted that conservation would be its first option for meeting those increased demands.

Further, during prolonged drought the SFPUC would count on "water transfers" from both the Modesto and Turlock irrigation districts.

Other details of this project emerge through the scoping document — including timelines (completion by 2013), specific improvements, mitigation measures and other issues of importance to the SFPUC's 2.4 million customers in 28 Bay Area cities. These issues are important to Modesto residents, too. A key element of the plan is a fourth pipeline that would extend through Modesto and require heavy construction along the existing Hetch Hetchy right of way.

Everyone in our region depends on the Tuolumne River in some way or another. The SFPUC realizes this and has scheduled two meetings to discuss the scoping document — the first is Oct. 5, from 7 to 9 p.m., at the Sonora Opera House, 250S.Washington St. in Sonora. The second will be at Downey High School, Oct. 6 from 7 to 9 p.m. Other meetings will be held in Fremont, Palo Alto and San Francisco.

These meetings are part of a "programmatic environmental review" and allow individuals and public agencies to comment on the proposed environmental study's scope and the various alternatives provided by the SFPUC. The meetings will be conducted by the San Francisco Planning Department.

We urge everyone with an interest in the river to attend. To learn more about the SFPUC's plans, go to www.sfwater.org. There also is a virtual tour of the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and the Sierra Nevada watershed on the site.