San Francisco completes seismic upgrade to Harry Tracy Water Treatment Plant

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) has completed a $278m project to improve the seismic resistance and operational reliability of the Harry Tracy Water Treatment Plant in San Bruno, California, US.

The facility, built 43 years ago, has been supplying drinking water to over one million customers in San Mateo and San Francisco counties.

Post upgrade, the plant will be able to withstand an earthquake having a magnitude of up to 7.9 on the San Andreas Fault.

The project had been undertaken to ensure uninterrupted water supply even during natural disaster.

SFPUC general manager Harlan L. Kelly, Jr. said: "This particular treatment plant treats approximately 19 billion gallons of water stored at Crystal Springs Reservoir.

"More than one million residents on the Peninsula would not have access to this supply after an earthquake without these important upgrades."

Upgrade works at the facility involved construction of a new 11 million gallon Treated Water Reservoir.

The project is a part of the utility’s $4.8bn Water System Improvement Program, which includes 83 projects spread across seven counties. The water agency intends to improve the seismic and water supply reliability for 2.6 million residents in the Bay Area with the projects.

Harlan L. Kelly, Jr. said: "The completion of each of these critical seismic projects helps ensure that we’ll meet our goal of delivering water within 24 hours of a major earthquake."

Water System Improvement Program director Daniel L. Wade said: "The goal of the project is to provide 140 million gallons of water per day, for 60 days, within 24 hours of a major earthquake."