Streets are empty and stores are closed as San Francisco and Bay Area residents follow the shelter-in-place order. Rest assured there are no impacts to the SFPUC’s water, power or sewer services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

SFPUC sewer repair crews are continuing their work, following the strict guidelines of hygiene and social distancing. This critical work needs to take place just so water keeps running out of the tap, ensuring the sewer system is functioning properly, and that much-needed power is on while most residents are at home working.  

This week, Jerry Rivera, SFPUC Construction Inspector, is leading sewer work in the Outer Sunset neighborhood in San Francisco, replacing sewer pipes, also known as “sewer laterals,” which connect properties to the main sewer pipes under the street.

“We need to keep going,” said Rivera. “Otherwise, we will encounter sewer backups onto streets or properties, which will cause public health hazards. And that’s not something we can let happen on any day, and especially during the health epidemic.”

It is not an easy feat to do construction work in a dense urban environment such as San Francisco, with both car and foot traffic, bus lines and cable cars needing to run. The work in the Outer Sunset is taking place at night time as SFPUC crews need to go in between MUNI tracks in order to avoid shutting down the bus lines.

The SFPUC’s contractor J. Flores will be performing the work for a mere duration of two nights, digging the roadway, removing the old and installing the new sewer pipe and finally restoring the roadway. 

Rivera shared how he is proud of crews continuing work during the COVID-19 epidemic in order to keep the City’s critical systems running. 

While essential work will continue to take place and residents may see construction workers outside, the SFPUC still urges everyone to shelter-in-place and stay up-to-date.