Emergency Preparedness Month

The First 72 Hours 
October 17, 2013 marked the 24^th anniversary of the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake.  Therefore, this October we would like focus on emergency preparedness. The first 72 hours after an emergency are often the times when community members come together to help each other out. If we prepare beforehand, we’ll be better off when an emergency occurs. 

What can you do?
Meet with your family, neighbors and community organizers to get connected, develop a plan and share resources. One of the best ways to be prepared is to get involved with the Alameda County Fire Department's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program that serves the cities of San Leandro, Dublin, Union City, Newark and the Unincorporated Areas of Alameda County. 


Alameda County CERT
The purpose of CERT is to train people living in Alameda County to take care of themselves, their families and their neighbors in the event of a disaster. After several large-scale disasters such as 9/11, the Oakland Hills Fire and Loma Prieta Earthquake, there was a realization that not all emergency services personnel will be able to reach everyone right away. Therefore, communities may have to tend to their own minor emergencies before help arrives. Check out the Alameda County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)'s Blog for more information about training opportunities and tips. 

Other Resources include the following: Alameda County Fire Department and Alameda County Office of Emergency Services.   

SFPUC is Preparing Too

Our community members are not the only ones getting prepared. We at the SFPUC has been improving and renovating our regional water system to ensure that our customers receive a safe and reliable water supply when they need it the most – after an earthquake. Recent upgrades to the water transmission system in the Sunol Valley have increased our ability and operational flexibility in case of a disaster. The promise of the multi-billion dollar Water System Improvement Program is to provide minimum day demand to our customers within 24 hours of a major earthquake within our system. 

Milestone Breakthrough for the New Irvington Tunnel

Roadheader breaks through for final hole-through on October 8th

On October 8, 2013 at precisely 9:00 a.m. two crews of miners from the New Irvington Tunnel project met underground with their roadheader digging away at the last final feet of rock.  Miners celebrated the final hole-through excavation of the 18,660 foot tunnel.  The 3.5 mile New Irvington Tunnel will transmit water between the Sunol Valley and Fremont to our 2.6 million Bay Area customers. Work is still not quite done yet, our miners will prepare the new tunnel for installation of 8.5 ft diameter steel pipe, installed in 50-foot sections and welded together inside of the tunnel.  This will be followed by the placement of cellular concrete between the steel pipe and tunnel wall to complete the project in mid-2015. 

 

Hole-Through Challenge Winner: Priya Iyer
With that, we also would like to congratulate our Hole-Through Challenge contestant.... Priya Iyer! Priya selected the winning time and date of the hole-through and will be receiving our prize package.  Congratulations to Priya!

Our hardworking New Irvington Tunnel crew

                                      Tunnel Superintendents Jim Mulkey and Jack Bowling from 

                                      Southland Contracting share a handshake after the hole-through.

New Irvington Tunnel Project Staff celebrates Hole-Through

New Irvington Tunnel Neighbors compete in the Final Tunnel Hole-Through Challenge at Open House

Last week, neighbors of the New Irvington Tunnel project stopped in for a cup of coffee and to hear the latest updates on tunnel progress at Mission Coffee House in Fremont.  Attendees were able to discuss construction progress, see new project photos, handle some rock samples collected from tunneling, and participate in the final "hole-through" challenge. 

 Residents participate in the Tunnel Hole-Through Challenge

We are still anticipating the exciting moment when the miners will meet underground between the tunnel segment from Vargas East to Alameda West Portal.  The winner will be notified to receive their gift basket of local goodies as soon as the day comes.  Thank you to all who have participated in the New Irvington Tunnel Hole-Through Challenge!  

Our final guesses are shown here:

For more project info, please email mle@sfwater.org or call our 24 hour answer line 866-973-1476.

One more week to play! New Irvington Tunnel Challenge

Sometime in the next few weeks, two teams of miners will meet hundreds of feet underground. One is excavating the New Irvington Tunnel eastward from the Vargas Shaft near I-680; the other is working its way west from the Alameda West Portal in Sunol Valley.

When will they meet?

Guess correctly and you could win a wonderful prize pack featuring gift certificates to local businesses!

Need a little help?

As of September 14, 2013, our miners have tunneled 5,044 feet east from Vargas and 8,758 feet west from Alameda West. In ideal ground conditions, crews have tunneled an average of 130 feet per week. When ground conditions are poor they excavate less than 20 feet. We have 405 feet left to go to hole-through as of September 14, 2013.

How to Play

The chart squares shown below correspond to a possible date and timeframe when the tunneling teams will meet. Selections already submitted by contestants are indicated by a “star “.

1. Choose three squares and e-mail your choices to: mle@sfwater.org
2. If your first choice is available, then you will be assigned that square. If the square is unavailable, then the next available choice is assigned. You will receive an email confirmation with your selection.
3. Include the date and time you think the hole-through will take place. Squares will be assigned on a first come, first serve. Only one square is allowed per person
4. Please include your name, phone number and e-mail address so we can contact you if you make the winning selection.
5. Submissions will be accepted through September 29, 2013.  GOOD LUCK!

New Irvington Tunnel Project Background

The SFPUC is constructing a new 3.5 mile long tunnel to transmit water between the Sunol Valley and Fremont. The New Irvington Tunnel has been excavated from four different tunnel headings. The first two headings met each other in June 2012. This second and final ‘hole-through’ will mark the completion of excavation of the entire 18,660 ft tunnel. Following the hole-through, miners will prepare the tunnel for the installation of 8.5 ft diameter steel pipe, installed in 50-foot sections and welded together inside of the tunnel. This is a major milestone as the final project completion is near!

Your Challenge - When will our Tunnels Meet?

Sometime in the next few weeks, two teams of miners will meet hundreds of feet underground. One is excavating the New Irvington Tunnel eastward from the Vargas Shaft near I-680; the other is working its way west from the Alameda West Portal in Sunol Valley.

When will they meet?
Guess correctly and you could win a wonderful prize pack featuring gift certificates to local businesses!

Need a little help?
As of September 14, 2013, our miners have tunneled 5,044 feet east from Vargas and 8,758 feet west from Alameda West. In ideal ground conditions, crews have tunneled an average of 130 feet per week. When ground conditions are poor they excavate less than 20 feet. We have 405 feet left to go to hole-through as of September 14, 2013.

How to Play

The chart squares shown below correspond to a possible date and timeframe when the tunneling teams will meet. Selections already submitted by contestants are indicated by a “star “.

1. Choose three squares and e-mail your choices to: mle@sfwater.org
2. If your first choice is available, then you will be assigned that square. If the square is unavailable, then the next available choice is assigned. You will receive an email confirmation with your selection.
3. Include the date and time you think the hole-through will take place. Squares will be assigned on a first come, first serve. Only one square is allowed per person
4. Please include your name, phone number and e-mail address so we can contact you if you make the winning selection.
5. Submissions will be accepted through September 29, 2013.  GOOD LUCK!

New Irvington Tunnel Project Background

The SFPUC is constructing a new 3.5 mile long tunnel to transmit water between the Sunol Valley and Fremont. The New Irvington Tunnel has been excavated from four different tunnel headings. The first two headings met each other in June 2012. This second and final ‘hole-through’ will mark the completion of excavation of the entire 18,660 ft tunnel. Following the hole-through, miners will prepare the tunnel for the installation of 8.5 ft diameter steel pipe, installed in 50-foot sections and welded together inside of the tunnel. This is a major milestone as the final project completion is near!

Feeling Steamy at Calaveras Dam

Among many other fascinating geological features present at the Calaveras Dam project site, a geothermal steam vent has recently been exposed during construction. Although typically associated with volcanic activity, steam/gas vents are also frequently found near large active faults, like the Calaveras fault, which is within 1/4 mile of the project site. There is also evidence of past geothermal activity in the vicinity of this vent. As seen in this photograph, there are areas of hydrothermally-altered bedrock (gray sandstone stained yellow) and holes where former vents, now dormant, were once active.

The construction team continues to monitor the temperature and the gaseous emissions of the present feature, and has created a cautionary exclusion area around it, but, as seen in this video, there has been no adverse effect to construction activity. We will keep you posted on our findings!

The Rim Fire in Yosemite and a Sunol Valley Update

The Rim Fire, which started in the Stanislaus National Forest on Saturday, August 17th, has been widely reported during the past week. The fire has spread to 179,481 acres as of this writing, and more than 3,000 personnel have been dispatched to combat the fire. As of this writing, the fire is 20% contained.

The fire has since spread into the Tuolumne Watershed, and the environs of the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, which is the source of 85% of the drinking water we provide our 2.6 million customers. There continues to be no change or impact to water quality or delivery from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. We continue serving high quality water to our customers.

The water delivery system and the recent upgrades completed in the Sunol Valley as part of our multi-billion dollar Water System Improvement Program have increased our ability to continue to serve our customers even during such an event as this. Why?

• Hetch Hetchy water is being pumped to San Antonio Reservoir in the Sunol Valley as we speak to ensure we have as much water here in the Bay Area as possible, in case Hetchy supplies should become unavailable to us.
• The pumps that send Hetchy water to San Antonio and to the Sunol Valley Water Treatment Plant were recently upgraded as part of the San Antonio Pump Station Upgrade.
• The Sunol Valley Water Treatment Plant Expansion and Treated Water Reservoir upgraded filters and outlet works at the plant, and recently finished construction of a new treatment basin.

In short, should Hetchy supplies become unavailable to us because of the Rim Fire, or need to be treated, we have completed enough infrastructure upgrades in the Sunol Valley to filter and provide 160 million gallons of water a day to our Bay Area Customers for up to 2 months.

This incident underscores the urgency to complete the remaining water system upgrades in the Valley: New Irvington Tunnel, San Antonio Backup Pipeline, and a replacement Calaveras Dam.

So, when the next large incident occurs -- we will still be ready!

For up to date information on the rim fire, please visit sfwater.org/RimFire.

San Antonio Pump Station









Water being filtered at the Sunol Valley Water Treatment Plant