Pleasanton is located in the Amador Valley in eastern Alameda County. It is bounded by the Diablo Range foothills on the north and south, the coastal Pleasanton Ridge on the west, and the adjacent Livermore Valley on the east. Major water courses consist of the Arroyo del Valle and Arroyo de la Laguna. Both are…
Category: Infrastructure
Water Quality Complaints Down 32 Percent According to Annual Report
With Bay Area residents spending more time at home as a result of shelter-in-place orders, residential customers are increasing their water usage at a time when satisfaction with the SFPUC’s water quality continues to improve significantly. Concerns about the SFPUC’s water quality decreased by 32 percent in 2019 when compared to 2018, according to the…
A Look Back in History: Lake Merced
Lake Merced is a fresh water lake in southwestern San Francisco that supplied water starting in the 1860’s. It is now surrounded by a large park (established in the 1950s) and serves as a popular recreational area in The City. It is also a significant stop -over location for migratory birds on the “Pacific Flyway.”…
A Look Back in History: From Horses to Carville to MUNI
As horsecars were moved to the dunes on the western edge of the City, a small community called “Carville-by-the-Sea” was established. Carville was located in what is now the Outer Sunset District. Carville was located just south of the western end of Golden Gate Park. At about this time, San Francisco’s citizenry began to campaign…
Meet Stephen Robinson, the SFPUC’s New-ish Wastewater Enterprise Capital Programs Director
Stephen Robinson is no stranger to the SFPUC. As the new Wastewater Enterprise Capital Program Director, Robinson doesn’t think of his job as merely a title but as an opportunity to steer the agency forward towards a more sustainable future. “Five words for me in a title is just too many,” Robinson said through laughter….
A Look Back in History: Buying Out the Spring Valley Water Company
Interest in municipalizing San Francisco’s water service harkened back to the 1870s. But efforts to municipalize San Francisco water had begun in earnest in 1900-1901. Mayor James Phelan was in office. Subsequent to surveying up-country sources of water, the Mayor, the City Engineer, and the Board of Public Works came to agreement that the Hetch…