San Francisco filling reservoirs in as fire approaches supply

[CreekDog]

Source: SF Gate

TUOLUMNE CITY, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco water authorities are scrambling to fill area reservoirs with water from their source in the Sierra Nevada before ash from a wildfire near Yosemite National Park taints supplies.

Ash from the 234-square-mile fire has been falling on the city's Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite, but so far hasn't sunk far enough into the lake to reach intake pumps.

...

The agency also is checking 12 miles of hydroelectric transmission lines that supply city facilities. An emergency declaration has allowed the city to spend $600,000 for power on the open market.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/SF-filling-reservoirs-in-as-fire-approaches-supply-4760657.php

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Water from Hetch Hetchy supplies households from San Francisco to San Jose with water.

Power generated from O'Shaunessy Dam powers electric transit, for free, to certain buses and trains in San Francisco, effectively a form of free public power which is used for public benefit.

[pinto]

1. Smart move. (I assume they've "role played" this scenario.)

[displacedtexan]

2. Local news says they're worried about ash in the water.

So far, though, there seems to be no problem yet. We bought more water for our emergency kit this weekend. We usually keep 2weeks worth for the 2 of us. Now, we have double the amount stored. Just in case.