The Tuolumne River Trust recently called San Francisco's request for more water from the Tuolumne River in Yosemite National Park unfounded and unnecessary. Their report, released on July 31, is named "From the Tuolumne to the Tap: Pursuing a Sustainable Water Solution for the Bay Area."
Heather Dempsey, the Bay Area Program Director of the Tuolumne River Trust, declared to The Epoch Times : "We partnered with the Pacific Institute, one of the nation's leading centers for assessing water conservation potential to analyze the water demand and conservation studies that the SFPUC (San Francisco Public Utilities Commission) conducted. We have concluded that the SFPUC's demand and conservation studies fail to adequately estimate future water demand and may significantly overestimate future demand while underestimating the potential for cost-effective water conservation and recycling."
According to the Tuolumne River Trust's website, the SFPUC currently draws approximately 218 million gallons of water from the Tuolumne River daily. The SFPUC's new plan recommends drawing an additional 25 million gallons per day from the River to meet the needs of new homes and businesses in San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Alameda Counties, including significantly more water for outdoor uses such as lawn-watering.
According to Dempsey, the Trust's report explains important flaws and inaccuracies in the SFPUC's studies which have led to the inflation of demand. These inaccuracies lay, for example, in the use of flawed methodology for estimating commercial and industrial water demand.
Dempsey added that "the SFPUC assumed that the same mix of industries would be present in 2030 as now. However, business sectors that use less water, such as education and information services, are actually expected to grow much faster in the Bay Area than those sectors with high water use, such as manufacturing."
Dempsey pointed out that the Bay Area lags behind in conservation and reducing water waste compared to other cities such as Seattle, which has a goal to reduce water use by 1 percent every year through conservation. Irvine Ranch, in Southern California, currently meets 20 percent of its demands with recycled water.
The report also reveals that per capita water use is projected to increase for wholesale customers. According to Dempsey, this further indicates that the SFPUC lacks effective conservation programs. "This means that we will be less water efficient by 2030. Rather than encouraging conservation, this plan actually encourages water waste," Dempsey said.
City of San Francisco Responds to Report
In reply to the conclusions made in the Trust's report, Tony Winnicker, the Director of Communications of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), said: "We haven't made any decision yet, we are still in the early stages of our environmental review process, and it is a little premature of the Tuolumne River Trust to make such conclusions, but we appreciate their perspective."
Winnicker added, "That is why we have this period of public commentary. First, the City Planning Department prepared an environmental review; it is a draft report. After that, we have a 90-day public commentary period, for the public to give their comments. This period is due on Oct. 1. After reviewing comments by the public, we will publish a final environmental review, and that will be next year."
Winnicker further explained that the projections on future water demand in the Bay Area are based on extremely detailed studies. "SFPUC is still exploring a number of ways the city can meet future water demands."
These alternatives are based on evaluations from the San Francisco City Planning Department's Draft Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR). "We agree with the Tuolumne River Trust that there is more recycling that can be done, but we need to balance water demand with water conservation."
On the other hand, Dempsey recognizes that SFPUC's own studies showed that more sustainable options exist. "They have identified additional conservation, efficiency, and recycling measures that could eliminate the need to divert more water from the Tuolumne River by at least 74 percent. But they have chosen not to pursue these sustainable measures," Dempsey said.
Public hearings on the draft version of San Francisco's Program Environmental Impact Report will be held during the month of September:
- Sept. 5, 2007 - 6:30 p.m.: Sonora Opera House, 250 S. Washington Street, Sonora
- Sept. 6, 2007 - 6:30 p.m.: Thomas Downey High School Cafeteria, 1000 Coffee Rd, Modesto
- Sept. 18, 2007 - 6:30 p.m.: Fremont Main Library, Fukaya Room, 2400 Stevenson Blvd, Fremont
- Sept. 19, 2007 - 6:30 p.m.: Avenidas Senior Center, 450 Bryant, Palo Alto
- Sept. 20, 2007 - 1:30 p.m. or later: San Francisco Planning Commission, City Hall, Rm 400, 1 Dr. Carlton B Goodlett Place, San Francisco (Call 558-6422 the week of the hearing for a recorded message giving a more specific time).
More information available at:
Tuolumne River Trust ( www.tuolumne.org )
San Francisco Program Environmental Impact Report ( peir.sfwater.org )
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