Hetch Hetchy water flowing to San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) customers has an additional level of microbiological protection thanks to a newly constructed, state-of-the-art Tesla Water Treatment Facility. The $114 million dollar plant near Tracy, California treats water with a series of ultraviolet (UV) lights. The newly dedicated plant is part of multiple redundant treatment system to protect heath and safety for the SFPUC’s 2.5 million customers. It is the largest UV plant in California and the third largest in the US.
Water treatment plants around the US are moving to UV water treatment. UV is very effective, repeatable, less expensive to operate, and safer than chemical alternatives.
Chemical alternatives require consumable gases, which are highly hazardous, and expensive to purchase and handle. Chlorine gas leaks can be deadly for employees and people living downwind.
San Francisco tap water comes from pristine snowmelt in the Sierras near Yosemite National Park and is among the best tap water in the nation. It is also an amazing bargain, costing less than 1/2 cent per gallon and it tested over 100,000 times a year. Put that in perspective: a 1 liter bottle of water costs less than 1/16 of a cent to fill. Support the SFPUC’s Drink Tap Campaign!
