OF
FICE OF THE GENERAL MANAGER
525 Golden Gate Avenue, 13th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94102
T 415.554.3155
F 415.554.3161
TTY 415.554.3488
OUR MISSION: To provide our customers with high-quality, efficient and reliable water, power and sewer services in a manner that values environmental and community interests and sustains the resources entrusted to our care.
INTER‐OFFICE MEMORANDUM
DATE: March 21, 2024
TO: Commissi
oner Tim Paulson, President
FROM: Dennis Herrera, General Manager
SUBJECT: Declaration of Emergency: WD‐2924(E), Pine Lake Emergency Slope Restoration
In accordance with San Francisco Administrative Code Chapter 6, Article IV, Section 6.60(d), I am declaring an emergency on behalf of th e San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC).
On March 8, 2024, SFPUC crews responded to a water main break on the 60‐ inch diameter water transmission pipeline – the Sunset Supply Line. The location was in Pine Lake Park near Wawona Street at 28th Avenue in San Francisco’s Parkside District.
When crews arrived at the scene, water was spraying into the air at the top of a slope at Wawona Street, eroding the bank and washing the soil down the slope into the meadow near the dog park at Pine Lake Park. The crews determined that an 8‐inch air valve on the 60‐inch diamet er Sunset Supply Line had failed. It took crews approximately two hours from the time of the break to isolate the flow of water out of the air valve and place the Sunset Supply Line back fully into service.
The incid ent eroded a portion of the slope between Wawona Street and Pine Lake Park adjacent to a nearby home (1715 Wawona Street) and undermined several tall eucalyptus trees on the slope. The slope failure left portions of the 60‐inch Sunset Supply Line, a 2‐foot by 3‐foot concrete sewer, and a private conc
rete retaining wall exposed.
The magnitude of the damages to the impacted slope for this recent main break appears to be significantly less than the damages from a similar incident that occurred on August 23, 2021. During that event, crews were working on an air valve for the 54‐inch San Andreas Pipeline No. 2, which unfortunately failed and resulted in flooding at Stern Grove Park. The caus e of this more
recent air valve failure is unknown at this time.
An "actual emergency" means a sudden, unforeseeable, and unexpected occurrence involving a clear and imminent danger, demanding immediate action to prevent or mitigate loss of or damage to, life, health, property, or essential public services. (Administrative Cod
e Section 6.60.)
The slope failure and erosion on forested slopes of Pine Lake Park compromised several mature eucalyptus trees, sent soil into the meadow at Pine Lake Park, exposed a large diameter water transmission pipeline and sewer pipeline, and exposed a private retaining wall, cr eating an imminent hazard to the public and critical SFPUC infrastructure.
This request for an emergency declaration is to provide contract resources to address the emergency condition through professional design and construction services. Preliminary assessment of construction services required include:
perform tree removal, protect the existing concrete sewer, s upport the 60‐inch Sunset Supply Line, perform slope repair and restoration, restore appropriate landscaping, and remove debris in Pine Lake Park. Professional services include: perform geotechnical investigation and design, perform pipeline investigation, and provide design support. The work must occur as soon as possible and is beyond the capabilities of City for ces and is estimated to exceed $250,000. Subject to your approval, we will continue to proceed with the remediation. We will also seek approval by the Board of Supervisors as required under Administrative Code Section 6.60.
SFPUC estimates the cost of design and construction work will be $5,000,000.
The prop
osed emergency declaration exempts the project from S.F.
Administrative Code Chapters 6, 12A, 12B, 12C, and 14B. SFPUC issued a request for qualifications and experience statements to three construction firms. Conditioned on the approval of the declaration, SFPUC has selected Anvil Builders based on its experience and qualifications for similar projects, including the recent em
ergency contract at Stern Grove. Although the LBE
participation requirements are not applicable for this emergency work, Anvil Builders has committed to using local LBE subcontractors for traffic control and trucking portions of the planned emergency work. Additionally, and also conditioned on approval of the declaration, SFPU C has selected AGS, Inc., a CMD‐certified LBE professional services contractor, as the geotechnical design firm based on their experience and qualifications on similar projects, such as the recent Stern Grove Emergency Contract.
I am therefore declaring the existence of an emergency. I trust that this meets with your concurrence and approval.
CONCUR AND APPROVE:
_____________
Date
________________________________
Tim Paulson – President,
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
cc: A. Rivera
N. Ajami
S. Maxwell
K. Stacy
R. Flynn
S. Robinson
S. Ritchie
N. Hom
March 22, 2024