Time to Spring Forward!

It is starting to look a lot like spring on the Peninsula. One of our team members snapped this picture of some Golden Poppies from the Peninsula Pipeline Seismic Upgrade project site in South San Francisco. In addition, it is time to spring forward with Daylight savings time starting this Sunday, March 13, 2016. Don’t forget to turn your clocks forward one hour for more light in the evening and a later sunrise! Hello Spring!

Construction Activities Resume

 

Construction activities for the Regional Groundwater Storage & Recovery (GSR) and Peninsula Pipeline Seismic Upgrade (PPSU) projects will resume today, February 16, after observing the President's Day Holiday.

What’s On Tap in the Peninsula for 2016?

Our SFPUC teams in the Peninsula are looking forward to a busy 2016! The $4.8 billion Water System Improvement Program (WSIP) might be more than 90 percent complete, but there’s still a lot of work left to complete. We look forward to continuing to share information about our current projects and starting new ones in the New Year. Here are a few highlights of what to expect in 2016.

Regional Groundwater Construction Continues to Charge Forward
The Regional Groundwater Storage & Recovery project charges forward to complete well drilling this year, and then the focus will shift to building well facilities at 13 separate sites in 2016. .


Project team directing concrete pour in South San Francisco

The Regional Groundwater and Storage Recovery project is constructing up to 16 new groundwater wells and associated pipelines and equipment to allow us to store groundwater in wet years for use in times of drought. Learn more about the project here: www.sfwater.org/gsr. Construction started in April 2015 and is estimated to be complete in March 2018?


Seismic Upgrade Success in the Peninsula
The Peninsula Pipeline Seismic Upgrade Project (PPSU) project is wrapping up restoration activities. We anticipate the project to be complete in winter 2016. The construction team is working to ensure that the project’s sites are returned to the same condition before our pipeline replacement work started in summer 2014.

The PPSU project consisted of seismic upgrades to three Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System delivery pipelines located in Millbrae, San Bruno, South San Francisco and Colma. These upgrades make the water system more reliable after an earthquake.

Clearing the Way for New Native Habitat on Watershed Lands
Coming up on the Peninsula Watershed this spring, watershed crews will begin hand-removing pampas grass, periwinkle and other non-native, invasive vegetation from several acres along and near the east side of Lower Crystal Springs Reservoir. Over the years the invasive species have gradually but consistently overcome and displaced the area’s original native grasses and other plants.

This initial brush clearing will be the first step in a long-term comprehensive Bioregional Habitat Program to restore about 150 acres of native grasses and oak woodlands within the 26,000-acre watershed. The program is designed to compensate for impacts to habitat resulting from seismic reconstruction of major drinking water facilities within the watershed.


Crews hand-remove non-native, invasive vegetation to make way for the restoration of our historic native habitats.

Hike, Bike, or Ride the Fifield Cahill Ridge Trail
In case you were not aware, members of the public can hike, mountain bike, or ride their horses through the Peninsula Watershed on the Fifield-Cahill Ridge Trail. Access to the trail is by guided groups by reservation only. Those wanting to experience pristine old-growth forests, grassy meadows and ridgetop vistas should make a reservation on line: here.

Make a reservation to hike, bike, or ride on the Fifield Cahill Ridge Trail.

Happy Holidays from Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System!

Thank you for being wonderful customers and neighbors throughout construction in 2015. It has been a busy year on the Peninsula, the SFPUC’s Water System Improvement Program (WSIP) celebrated the completion of the Harry Tracy Water Treatment Plant in San Bruno and the last major water transmission pipeline in the Peninsula region coming into service.

While the Water System Improvement Program overall is now 90 percent complete, we still have a long way to go and our crews are hard at work this holiday season. Below are the construction schedules for the Peninsula Pipeline Seismic Upgrade, Regional Groundwater Storage & Recovery Projects and the San Andreas Pipeline #2 at Junipero Serra Park.

• Construction will be suspended Thursday, December 24 through Sunday, December 27.
• Construction will be suspended Thursday, December 31 through Sunday, January 3.
• Regular construction schedules will resume Monday, January 4.

PPSU Project Completes Major Construction; Restoration Now Underway in San Bruno

Final look at San Andreas Pipeline No. 3 at Shelter Creek Condominiums in September

Can you believe only two months ago the PPSU project completed pipeline installation and put the new San Andreas Pipeline No. 3 back into service? Now in restoration, the project is working quickly to return the SFPUC’s right of way to how it looked before construction.

Next week, the contractor will focus on repairing and replacing the curb, gutter and sidewalk on the south side of Whitman Way. All pedestrians will be detoured to the sidewalk on the north side of Whitman Way from Monday, November 9 through Friday, November 13. For more information and updates about the PPSU project, please call the 24-hour answering service at (866) 973-1476.

Thank you for your continued patience and support during this project. This project ensures the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System continues to deliver water to customers after an emergency.

 

Labor Day Holiday Construction Hours

PPSU Project Will Close Whitman Way for Pipeline Work

Beginning as early as Thursday, September 3, Whitman Way will be closed between Shelter Creek Lane and Courtland Drive from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for back filling and repaving across Whitman Way as part of the Peninsula Pipeline Seismic Upgrade (PPSU) Project. Whitman Way will reopen at the end of each work day at 3:30 p.m. 

Whitman Way will be closed during the following time periods: 

· Thursday, September 3 and Friday, September 4

· Tuesday, September 8 through Friday, September 11 

· Monday, September 14 through Friday, September 18

During this closure, all traffic will be detoured to San Bruno Avenue via Shelter Creek Lane, Madison Avenue and Crestmoor Drive. For more information and updates about this closure, please call the 24-hour answering service at (866) 973-1476 or subscribe to this blog to receive project updates.

The full closure of Whitman Way anticipates starting as early as Thursday, September 3 inside the orange rectangle pictured above.

The PPSU project includes seismically upgrading three Hetch Hetchy regional water delivery pipelines located in Northern San Mateo County. This project will ensure the pipelines can continue to deliver water to customers after an emergency.