The Auxiliary Water Supply System (AWSS), an independent high-pressure system dedicated to fire protection, will be improved and expanded. Built seven years after the earthquake and fire of 1906, this one-of-a-kind system has the ability to deliver water at much higher pressures and use unlimited water from the Bay. The AWSS is our last line of defense in a fire after an earthquake. The system is also used by the San Francisco Fire Department to increase service capacity, providing critical firefighting water to areas in need. Since 2010, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Fire Department, and Public Works have been implementing projects to improve the AWSS. In 2018, the PUC completed an assessment of options for expanding the AWSS system for the Richmond and Sunset Districts. The SFPUC is now moving forward with design work for a system configuration that will significantly enhance the reliability emergency firefighting water supplies and provide the ancillary benefit of backup potable water if the drinking water distribution system is damaged in an earthquake.  

Status: More information on the ESER bond program, which includes AWSS, is available here.