Advocate for funding to expand the Portable Water Supply System (PWSS) in the Sunset District.
The Sunset District has historically suffered from a lack of infrastructure for fire suppression. However, through bond funding, the City has made significant improvements to the western neighborhoods. For example, six new cisterns providing emergency underground water supply were installed in the Sunset District at the following locations in 2014:
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35th Ave. and Irving St.
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36th Ave. and Wawona St.
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37th Ave. and Lawton St.
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37th Ave. and Ortega St.
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37th Ave. and Rivera St.
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37th Ave. and Ulloa St.
However, we recognize that the cisterns may not be sufficient in the event of a large emergency. That is why we advocated for funding to expand the City’s Portable Water Supply System (PWSS). PWSS is designed to expand the reach of water sources through an amalgamation of large diameter hoses, portable hydrants, pressure regulating valves, and trucks or trailers for transportation. It is a highly mobile regional water resource can also be used to transmit potable water during emergencies.
Although our office will continue to advocate for local, state and federal funding to expand PWSS to the Sunset District and throughout the City, we have been working on other ways to strengthen west side emergency preparedness infrastructure in partnership with the Capital Planning Committee (CPC), SFPUC, and SFFD. The CPC tasked a consultant with studying how the City can better utilize infrastructure that must be improved, and enhance them for future multi-purpose use. For example, upgrading SFPUC pipes carrying potable water to also accommodate emergency firefighting capabilities is one main area of study. The City is also studying how to allow SFFD access to existing water sources that can also help during an emergency, such as the Sunset Reservoir. The study is expected to be completed this Fall, and will help the City more effectively apply bond funding to support infrastructure improvements to bolster the western neighborhoods.