San Francisco no longer getting pristine Hetch Hetchy water

Discussion
1

Hi All,

A lot of San Francisco residents are truly exercised about the fact that the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission started to blend pristine Hetch Hetchy water with ground water. The SFPUC is having to face neighborhood forums full of irate folk. Supervisor Norman Yee (District 7) called a hearing on May 24, in which the SFPUC bureaucrats had to listen to two hours of public testimony calling the blended water everything from deadly to worse. The PUC says we need an alternative supply of water in case of disaster, but opponents of the plan routinely provide evidence in forums that existing storage wells have enough capacity to carry the City through a major earthquake, terrorist attack, etc. So the PUC says we need the groundwater because of population growth. Indeed, now, the question of central planning and population growth has hit home. You want growth? Hope you like water laced with nitrates. However, some Supervisors that live on the western-side (where the groundwater blend has already started) are not happy campers, and may find a way to disappoint the PUC.

Additionally: The San Francisco Board of Supervisors in their infinite wisdom passed an ordinance prohibiting the sale of bottled water on "government property" (City Hall, schools, etc) because San Francisco had such pure pristine water straight from Hetch Hetchy. Anyone want to roam around City Hall and take pictures of all the bottled water that no doubt sits on everyone's desk? And maybe follow up on Supervisor Safai's comment at the May 24 hearing that the poor will be stuck with drinking blended water, while the better off will drink nothing but bottled water?

If you live in the western side of San Francisco, are receiving the groundwater blend, and want to read a summary of the situation:

https://nine-county-coalition.squarespace.com/ninecounty-coalition/2017/6/9/san-francisco-lower-quality-water-and-no-say-on-the-matter

Marcy

2

Thanks Marcy,

This is a hot topic on our Richmond District NextDoor.com forum. People noticed obvious changes in water clarity immediately with the change. I'll forward the link.

Mike

3

Oh, so Richmond District too!? Here in District 7 residents are ready for some pitchforks. I fired off an email to my Supervisor this afternoon, and hope more people will contct theirs. Supervisors that seem the most upset about this are Yee, Safai, Fewer, Ronen, and Sheehy.

Thank you for forwarding the link, Mike.

Marcy

4

This is a good article from Reason....note the vast amount of money siphoned out of the water system to go into the SF General Fund.

Mike

5

Very comprehensive study. Much appreciated, Mike. Money matters, yes, those are paramount here. But for me, what deserve equal focus is the transferring of power from cities to "regional agencies." If you don't like something in San Francisco or other cities, you jump all over your city council or board of supervisors until the issue is fixed. As agencies take over control, such as in the case BAWSCA taking over water decisions, who do you throw out of office if you don't like something they do? By the way BAWSCA is alive and well at http://bawsca.org/about

Marcy