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A great victory for the Tuolumne River Trust!

SFPUC to Retrofit Hetch Hetchy Water System and Cap Water Sales to Protect Tuolumne River

October 31, 2008 -- SAN FRANCISCO – On Thursday, October 30, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) approved a $4.4 billion Water System Improvement Program (WSIP) that will upgrade the Hetch Hetchy Water System to enable it to withstand a major earthquake. By adopting the “Phased WSIP” alternative, the SFPUC also chose to cap water sales at current levels until at least 2018.

“This is a major victory for the wild and scenic Tuolumne River,” said Peter Drekmeier, Bay Area Program Director for the Tuolumne River Trust. “A year ago we faced a proposal to divert an additional 25 million gallons of water per day from the Tuolumne – enough to fill 1,000 swimming pools. We’ve come a long way.”

“This is the first time there’s been a cap on water sales,” said Jennifer Clary, Water Policy Analyst for Clean Water Action. “We've changed the way the SFPUC does business.”

By capping sales for 10 years, the SFPUC and its wholesale customers will have time to reexamine water demand projections, ramp up conservation and recycling programs, study the potential impacts of climate change on future river flows, and complete a biological study of the Tuolumne that will help determine when additional water should be released from Hetch Hetchy to benefit wildlife and vegetation downstream.

An overflow crowd attended the SFPUC hearing, with the vast majority speaking in support of the seismic upgrades combined with measures to protect the Tuolumne River and other local watersheds, including Alameda Creek, from which the SFPUC obtains 10% of its water. The Tuolumne provides 85% of SFPUC water.

The Phased WSIP still includes a provision that would allow the diversion of an additional 2 million gallons of water per day from the Tuolumne to fill reservoirs following extended droughts. However, the Commissioners made it clear they want to see the Tuolumne protected, and included several strongly worded amendments aimed at minimizing the need for additional diversions.

“The Commission heard our message loud and clear, and responded with additional measures to protect the Tuolumne through aggressive water conservation and recycling,” said Clary. “There also will be regular updates on projected water demand, which will allow us to identify potential threats to the River before they become problematic.”

“We’re pleased to see the SFPUC taking its role as a steward of the Tuolumne River seriously,” said Drekmeier.