Construction Update for the Town of Sunol Fire Suppression Project

We are pleased to announce that the fire hydrants installed within the Town of Sunol are live! The new water main that serves these hydrants is full of water, and should a fire occur within the Town, fire fighters can now access water through these hydrants. The contractor will unwrap the hydrants momentarily. We are not finished with the entire project, yet. There are a few more items left to be done.

Here's what to expect over the next couple of weeks:

Bollard Installation around Fire Hydrants
In order to protect some of the newly installed hydrants from accidental damage from vehicles, we will install bollards around the more exposed hydrants. These bollards will conform with Alameda County Fire Specifications. Installation is scheduled to begin this week and should take a week or so to complete.

Sidewalk Restoration at SFPUC Corporation Yard
We will be restoring the sidewalk directly adjacent to the SFPUC-owned corporation yard at the corner of Main and Bond Streets next two weeks as well.

Pavement Restoration
Once all the construction work within town is complete, we will work with Alameda County inspectors to repair street structural damage caused by construction and slurry seal Main Street. Spot repair of pavement damage will happen at the end of February. If you notice a damaged section of payment that occurred because of construction of the project, please notify us at blauppe@sfwater.org. We would appreciate hearing back by Monday, February 23rd.

Slurry Seal of Main Street will happen in warmer weather - currently planned for this spring.

Pipeline Connection Work at the intersection of Kilkare / Main and Foothill Roads It is possible that crews will modify the pipeline connections at the intersection of Kilkare / Main, and Foothill Roads to further optimize the fire hydrant system. Additional details will be forthcoming if this comes to fruition.

Storage Tanks
Installation of the first of the two new replacement tanks on Tank Hill continues. Once the first new water storage tank on Tank Hill is placed in service (Spring 2015), the remaining pair of old, smaller water tanks will be demolished, and construction will start on the second replacement tank. Construction on Tank Hill will continue through summer of 2015.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, comments, or concerns.
24-hour Answering Line: (866) 973-1476 or epowell@sfwater.org or blauppe@sfwater.org.

Thank you for your patience!

WSIP Recognizes Construction Project Teams for 7 Million Safe Work Hours

The construction teams working on Water System Improvement Program (WSIP) projects recently achieved a huge and important milestone. Between April 2009 and October 2014, these project teams performed 7 million hours of work on major construction projects, without a single major injury or incident. SFPUC representatives acknowledged this with a formal presentation of a certificate to the active construction management and contractor teams in December.

The WSIP projects have significantly lower rates of recordable injuries and lost work time compared to the national industry averages. The safety successes are a result of a robust safety program that has been embraced by the construction management teams as well as the project contractors. This milestone is evidence of the project teams’ outstanding commitment to the Think Safety, Work Safely approach, ensuring the program’s construction sites are safe places to work.

New Irvington Tunnel Project: SFPUC Team and Southland/Tutor Perini

Calaveras Dam Replacement Project: SFPUC Team and Dragados USA/Flatiron/Sukut Construction, Inc.

Nighttime Crews Working Away on the New Spillway for Calaveras Dam

What are construction crews doing at 2 a.m. at the Calaveras Dam? They are working in the pre-dawn hours to mix and place concrete for the new spillway. Over 40,000 cubic yards of concrete will be placed into the new 1550 ft concrete spillway for the Calaveras Dam Replacement Project. Crews have to work in the early hours to ensure the concrete maintains a precise temperature to cure and reach its optimum strength. We are approximately 30% complete with the concrete spillway work.

Read more about the spillway here. The projected completion for the Calaveras Dam Replacement Project is late 2018.

 Crews work on placing concrete for the slabs of the new spillway

Crews work early hours placing concrete on the new spillway. All concrete is mixed on-site at our batch plant reducing truck deliveries on public roads.

Sunrise at Calaveras Reservoir

I hope this blog post finds you safe, warm, and dry during this storm!

We thought you might like to take your mind of the rains and wind outside. 

So, for your viewing pleasure, we are happy to present, Calaveras Reservoir at Sunrise, November 2014, courtesy of watershed keeper Pat Jones.

Our Watershed Keepers patrol the 36,000 acres of land the SFPUC owns in the Southern Alameda Creek Watershed in every kind of weather.

They also fight fires, respond to all sorts of calls, help maintain the watershed, and when we are lucky, share the photos they take while going about their duties. We will be posting more of Pat's photos, so keep an eye out!

See you around Sunol Valley!

Holiday Open House in Sunol this Thursday!

Please join us to celebrate the holiday season and hear updates the SFPUC projects in the Sunol Valley. 

WHEN: Thursday December 4, 2014
             4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

WHERE: Elliston Vineyards
               463 Kilkare Road
               Sunol CA 94586

We have been busy this year. Come learn more about:

  The Alameda Creek Watershed Center at the Sunol Water Temple
  Construction Activities at Calaveras Dam 
  New Irvington Tunnel is Nearing Completion

** Light refreshments and activities for kids will be provided. Wine will also be available for purchase (no host bar). **

We hope to see you there! 

- Sunol Regional Team

Update on the Town of Sunol Fire Suppression Project for the weeks of November 24 and December 1, 2014

The majority of the work within the Town has been completed. However, there is some work left to be done.

Construction Currently Underway or Planned for the Next 2 weeks

Pipeline connections at Sunol Glen School

Pipeline connections will be made between the new and old systems at the Sunol Glen School Parking lot the week of December 1st.  We will minimize any impacts to the school. The water supply to the town and school will not be affected. 

Service Connection Upgrades

As part of this project, SFPUC crews, together with our contractor, will inspect selected service connections of SFPUC customers. The service connection consists of the section of pipe between the water meter box and the street main which is maintained by the SFPUC. Should the inspection show the connection needing an upgrade, we will schedule a replacement and notify the property owner.

The connections on Main Street will be first, with inspections starting the week of Thanksgiving. 

Installation of bollards around fire hydrants

In order to protect some of the newly installed hydrants from accidental damage from vehicles, we will install bollards around the more exposed hydrants after the week of December 8th.  These bollards will conform with Alameda County Fire Specifications.

Installation of one of the two replacement tanks on tank hill continues. Work on the tanks on the hill will continue through next summer.

Pavement Restoration 

Once all the construction work within town is complete, we will work with Alameda County inspectors, repair street structural damage caused by the construction, and slurry seal Main Street.

The Jack and Bore work to lay pipe underneath the Union Pacific Railroad on Main Street was

recently completed.

What has been completed to date:

• Installation of approximately 2 miles of transmission mains on Main St, Bond St, Foothill East and West and Kilkare Road.
• Placement of all of the 26 planned fire hydrants.
• Placing pipe across three bridges: Bond, Foothill, and Kilkare
• Removal of two water tanks on Tank Hill.
• Pipeline tie in work at Kilkare Road
• Jack and Bore Crossing of Alameda County Railroad at the intersection of Main Street, Kilkare Road, and West Foothill Road.
• Jack and Bore crossing under the Union Pacific Railroad on Main Street.
• Pipeline Tie in work on Main Street near Bond

What is coming:

• The new hydrants will be charged and ready for use.
• The new water storage tank on Tank Hill will be placed in service during the next 3 months.
• Thereafter, a pair of older water storage tanks will be demolished
• and construction will start on the second water storage tank.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, comments, or concerns.

24-hour Answering Line: 
(866) 973-1476

epowell@sfwater.org
blauppe@sfwater.org

Thank you for your patience!

SFPUC at the Cowboy Hootenany

The SFPUC Sunol Public Outreach team had a fabulous time at the East Bay Regional Park District’s Cowboy Hootenanny Folk Festival this past weekend. 

The cowboys and cowgirls who sidled up to our booth learned ways to be a water saving superhero. They tested their water knowledge and won prizes.  And they geared up appropriately with wonderfully colored super hero masks they made at the booth.

If you did not get the chance to attend, or would like to know more about what we’ve dug up at Calaveras Dam, the future Watershed Center at the Sunol Water Temple, or about any of the important water system improvements underway, please click on the project links to the right.

We will see you around Sunol!