Replacing a large pipeline across a busy street is always a challenge. The contractor replacing vulnerable sections of the San Andreas Pipeline 2 project in San Bruno had originally planned to replace the portion under Crystal Springs Road while keeping one lane of traffic open at all times. With the nearby Junipero Serra County Park…
Category: Construction
Rain or Shine: Sewer Crews Continue Necessary Repairs and Maintenance Work
The SFPUC is focused on the health of its workforce, especially those out in the field, with continued delivery of critical water, power and sewer services. And even during the COVID-19 crisis, the SFPUC’s mission remains. While everyone is sheltering in place, the SFPUC’s sewer crews are at work maintaining, repairing and upgrading essential infrastructure, and…
Earthquake-Resistant Ductile Iron Pipe Installed in San Francisco
Earthquakes can cause significant damage to San Francisco’s aging water main pipes and potable water distribution systems, which could lead to severe loss of water supplies. To prevent this, the SFPUC is installing high-tech earthquake-resistant ductile iron pipes in key parts of the city to safeguard critical water distribution pipes against the potential destructive impacts…
The SFPUC is Upgrading the City Under the City
For the past 100 years, the City of San Francisco has protected public health by operating a sewer system that reliably treats and disposes of sewage and street runoff to the Bay and Pacific Ocean. The SFPUC maintains 1,900 miles of sewer mains and lateral and 27 pump stations that collect sewage and storm water,…
Meet the Massive Tunnel Boring Machine that Excavated the New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel
On September 30, 2009, as the early morning sun was rising over the San Mateo hills, an amazing piece of machinery saw the light of day for the very last time. One of 87 critical Water System Improvement Program (WSIP) projects, the Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel, was a critical link in the Hetch Hetchy Water…
Miracle or Just a Regular Day’s Work – Laying Pipelines Across a Major Street Without Stopping Traffic
The construction team for the San Andreas Pipeline No. 2 Replacement Project in San Bruno employs different techniques for replacing the more than 90-year-old pipeline to minimize impacts to neighbors and communities. One way is the simple dig a trench, cut the deteriorating pipeline out, replace it with a like section only newer and better….