Saturday work on December 10th near Polhemus Road in San Mateo

Crews will continue landscaping work at the New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel South Shaft site near Polhemus Road in San Mateo.

They will be on site this Saturday, December 10th beginning at 9am. Crews have been directed to not use any loud equipment before 9am and to not make noise if they arrive on site to mobilize before 9am.

Dust control measures will be used to help prevent dust.


Work will continue at the site during the week of December 12th.

Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns: 866-973-1476.

Landscaping Work Continues on Polhemus Rd in San Mateo

Crews continue to work at the New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel South Shaft site along Polhemus Road in San Mateo.

Hydroseeding began this week and will likely continue into next week (week of December 12th). Neighbors may notice the bright green color on the soil in the area. The green soil mixture contains thousands of seeds that will germinate with the wet weather and grow into grasses in the late winter/early spring. The green color will eventually disappear. Neighbors may see the machine spraying the seeds this week.

Crews will likely finish the landscaping work during the week of December 12th.

Work is moving quickly thanks to the sunny weather. In order to manage dust, crews will continue to wet down the area with water as needed.

Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. Contact Amy Sinclair at 415-551-4659, asinclair@sfwater.org. After hours and weekends please call 866-973-1476.

Happy Holidays!

Revegetation Work to begin at New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel site in San Mateo

Beginning on or around Thursday, December 1st, work crews will begin weeding and grading the South Shaft site area off of Polhemus Road in San Mateo.

The work is part of the final revegetation/relandscaping work for the New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel project, which was completed this past summer.

During the week of December 5th, crews will spray a hydroseed mixture on the site. Hydroseed is a mixture of seeds and nutrients, often green or blue in color (see example in photo) that will germinate into grasses this winter and spring.

Some equipment, including work trucks, grading machinery and a water truck, will be on site for the next several weeks.

Crews have been asked to maintain dust control and water down the site often. They have also been asked to minimize noise and keep the roadway near the entrance clean and free of mud and debris.

Work hours will be Monday - Friday from 7am to 5pm with some Saturday work possible beginning at 9am.

Please contact Amy Sinclair at 415-551-4659 or asinclair@sfwater.org with any concerns or questions. After hours and weekends, please call 866-973-1476.

Happy Holidays

The staff of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission would like to wish you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving.

We hope you enjoy our great Hetch Hetchy tap water while you celebrate this week.

Landscaping Work to Begin Soon at New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel South Shaft in San Mateo

In the next few weeks, crews will return to the South Shaft site of the New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel project near Polhemus Road in San Mateo to begin adding a native seedmix to the meadow.

The process, called hydroseeding, involves spraying a mixture of seeds, water and nutrients onto an area of dirt. In some cases, the mixture may be a bright green or blue color.

Watch this blog for more details and a timeframe for the process.

ASCE Honors New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel Project Team

The San Francisco Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) selected New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel for its Large Project of the Year award.

Located in San Mateo County near Polhemus Road, this project is at final completion.

Several members of the project team joined Julie Labonte, Director of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) Water System Improvement Program (WSIP), in celebrating the achievement at the San Francisco Section annual dinner in late September. Labonte accepted the award on behalf of Peninsula Regional Project Manager Husam Masri who was out of the country at the time.

One of the very first WSIP regional projects, the new 4,200 foot tunnel and pipeline in San Mateo County was completed ahead of schedule using less than 4% of its contingency funds. An Arup Brierley team assisted SFPUC’s engineering team led by Project Engineer Gilbert Tang with the design. Shank/Balfour Beatty excavated the tunnel using a 12-foot-diameter shielded disc-cutterhead tunnel boring machine. Jacobs Associates of San Francisco provided the construction management.

Labonte applauded the combined team’s excellent design and construction management within strict budget and schedule constraints while contending successfully with neighbors in close proximity and active creek habitats. “Only the best team work can produce such an exceptional performance,” said Labonte.

Here is a photo of the project team at the ASCE event in late September. Congratulations!

Workers Along Polhemus Road in San Mateo Starting June 29th

Starting on Wednesday, June 29th, the contractor for the New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel and Pipeline project will begin performing removal work on small devices, called piezometers, on some of the hillsides and shoulders along Polhemus Road in San Mateo. Several work trucks will also be in the area.

On Thursday, June 30th, work will take place on Polhemus Road near the retaining wall located near the intersection of Ascension Drive and will require traffic control. Neighbors in the area may experience temporary traffic delays.

Thank you for your patience as we complete this important water project.

Please do not drive on upper terrace of South Shaft site off Polhemus Road

The project team has noticed tire tracks on the upper terrace area of the New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel's South Shaft site off of Polhemus Road in San Mateo.

PLEASE do not drive cars, trucks, bicycles, etc on the upper terrace area/meadow area of the site. Driving on it will create issues for dust control and erosion. We have measures in place to reduce dust so it does not blow onto homes above.

This fall, we will be adding a native seed mixture to the upper terrace/meadow area.

Thank you for your patience and support as we complete this important water infrastructure project.

Aqua Colored Soil Stabilizer added to NCSBT Meadow Area near Polhemus Rd in San Mateo

Is anyone wondering why the upper terrace/meadow/muck disposal area at the South Shaft construction site of the New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel (NCSBT) is now an aqua-blue/green color?

In order to help prevent erosion and to control dust, the contractor has added a soil stablizer in preparation for revegitation.

In late summer/early fall, the area will be seeded with natives grasses and plants.

Please note the color of the soil stabilizer will fade over time! We promise the color is only temporary.

Increased Truck Traffic on Polhemus Road in San Mateo

Residents near the New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel & Pipeline project on Polhemus Road in San Mateo will see additional large trucks in the area on Friday, May 20th. Trucks will be making deliveries to the project site and may create some additional traffic or delays on Polhemus Road between Bunker Hill Road and Crystal Springs Road.

The trucks are delivering top soil to the project terrace areas. Dust control measures are in place to help prevent dirt and dust flying into the air. The contractor may continue grading work on the terrace (former muck disposal area) into Saturday.

The tunnel and pipeline are complete and the project is nearing completion. Thank you again to our neighbors for your continued support and patience during the final stages of the project.

Demobilization Continues near Polhemus Rd & Crystal Springs Rd in San Mateo

Crews continue to remove equipment and materials from both the north and south shaft construction sites of the New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel & Pipeline project in San Mateo.

Early next week, crews will remove the k-rail along Crystal Springs Road near the former north shaft construction area (the 10 mph zone near Polhemus Road). Metal guard rail will be installed and crews will be working on the shoulder area. Please watch for crews in the area and use caution during this work next week.

Top soil deliveries will continue to the south shaft site along Polhemus Road. Please watch for trucks in the area during the day. Dust mitigation measures will be in effect to minimize dust.

Construction trailers will be removed from the site soon.

Truck Traffic on Polhemus Road in San Mateo this week

Residents near the New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel & Pipeline project on Polhemus Road in San Mateo will see additional large trucks in the area this week. Trucks will be making deliveries to the project site and may create some additional traffic or delays on Polhemus Road between Bunker Hill Road and Crystal Springs Road.

The trucks are delivering top soil to the project terrace areas. With the beautiful, sunny weather this week, dust control measures are in place to help prevent dirt and dust flying into the air.

The tunnel and pipeline are complete and the project is nearing completion. Thank you again to our neighbors for your continued support and patience during the final stages of the project.

Some additional Truck Traffic on Polhemus Road in San Mateo

Residents near the New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel & Pipeline project near Polhemus Road in San Mateo may see some additional large trucks in the area today and Friday, April 29th.

The trucks are delivering top soil to the project's lower terrace area. With the beautiful, sunny weather this week, dust control measures are in place to help prevent dirt and dust flying into the air.

The tunnel and pipeline are complete and the project is nearing completion. Over the next few months, additional equipment will be removed from the site, including the office trailers.

In the fall, as we get closer to the rainy season, a seed mixture of native grasses and plants will be added to the upper terrace (also known as the meadow or muck disposal area). More information will be provided this summer.

Thank you again to our neighbors for your continued support and patience during the final stages of the project.

Removal of Construction Materials from North Shaft in San Mateo

With the seismically advanced New Crystal Springs Tunnel and Pipeline in service, the project team is in the process of demobilizing their equipment and materials from the construction sites in San Mateo.

Over the next several weeks, crews will begin removing construction related materials from the North Shaft site located near the intersection of Crystal Springs Road and Polheumus Road in San Mateo. Crews will remove equipment, grade the soil on site, backfill soil, remove fencing and remove the k-rail concrete protective structures along the site of the roadway.

Please drive the posted 10 m.p.h speed limit on Crystal Springs Road and be aware of workers, trucks and equipment in or near the roadway during this demobilization work.

Once they remove the posted 10 m.p.h speed limit signs, the speed limit will return to normal.

Shoulder Work on Polhemus Road in April

For the next few weeks, you may notice "Road Work Ahead" signs along Polhemus Road between the New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel 'South Shaft' site (near Bunker Hill Road) and Crystal Springs Road in San Mateo.

The contractor will have a few workers working along the shoulder of Polhemus Road. They will be grouting inclinometer holes in accordance with county and state monitoring well standards.

The New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel project is nearing completion and the new tunnel and pipeline are in service.

Golf Balls on Construction Site can be Dangerous

Dear Golf Lovers near South Shaft construction site,

The New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel project team has been finding golf balls at the South Shaft construction site off of Polhemus Road in San Mateo. The project team believes the golf balls are coming from nearby homes above the construction site.

While we understand and share a love for golf, the project team would like to remind neighbors that golf balls can pose a significant danger to workers and construction equipment at the construction site.

Fast moving golf balls can strike workers, staff or cause significant damage to construction equipment such as cranes, cars and machinery, which can cause further injury to people.

We respectfully request that who ever is hitting these golf balls toward the construction site to stop immediately.

Thank you,
New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel project team

Update: Demolition of Water Treatment Facility will Continue Next Week off Polhemus Road

Water Treatment “Swimming Pool” to be Removed
The Water Treatment Facility at the South Shaft site, known by neighbors as the “Swimming Pool”, will continue to be demolished next week (week of February 21st)and materials will be hauled off site. Neighbors may experience some noise during demolition.

Demobilization Begins – Please Watch for Trucks
With the tunnel and pipeline complete, the contractor and staff will begin removing equipment and hauling it away. Please watch for additional truck traffic in the area. Please observe posted speed limits and watch for trucks entering the roadway.

Enjoy the weekend!

Possible Traffic Delays on Polhemus Road during the Week of February 14th

The contractor for the SFPUC's New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel & Pipeline project will be performing trench work the week of February 14th on Polhemus Road near the South Shaft site between Bunker Hill and Crystal Springs in San Mateo.

The work is expected to take less than three days and will require one lane of traffic to be closed temporarily. A flag person will be on site to direct traffic.

The work may cause possible daytime traffic delays on Polhemus Road.

Thank you for your continued support while we upgrade your drinking water system.

Historical Photos of Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel and Pipeline in San Mateo

Did you know the original Crystal Springs Bypass Pipeline near Polhemus Road in San Mateo was installed in 1969? We'd love to hear from any neighbors who remember the pipeline work or who lived in the area at the time. Enjoy!

Video: San Mateo Pipeline Project on ABC 7 News

The New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel and Pipeline project was featured on ABC 7 on Friday, February 4th! It is an exclusive look inside the original Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel and includes some interesting historical and current photos of the project. Enjoy and please give us your feedback!