Nearly $300 million in additional unplanned costs for San Francisco projects in the past five years might not seem like much in comparison with the national debt, which is approaching $15 trillion. But this potential abuse of taxpayer dollars, much of it below the radar of top city officials, should be better managed, receive more oversight and be reined in where possible. Read More
Bay Area utility companies have done such a good job conserving water that they are now getting a huge reward: a likely rate increase of at least 47 percent to help make up for the lost revenue in San Francisco’s water system.
Twenty-six Bay Area water districts that rely on San Francisco’s Hetch Hetchy Reservoir are expected to use an average of 143 million gallons of water a day this fiscal year, which is 21 million gallons less than just four years ago. Read More
An aging Peninsula water main running down sections of El Camino Real and Crystal Springs Road will get a $32.5 million upgrade starting later this month. The 19-mile Crystal Springs Pipeline No. 2 is set to undergo major seismic upgrades and repairs with construction possibly lasting through January 2013, said Susan Hou, the project’s manager with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Read More
The first tunnel bored beneath San Francisco Bay will carry drinking water five miles from Fremont to San Mateo County.
Boring of the $350 million Bay Tunnel is one step that’s planned as part of an effort to create a 21-mile stretch of new piping between the East Bay and the Peninsula to ensure that water continues to reach millions of customers after an earthquake. Read More
