SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION - STOP LYING, CHEATING, AND HOODWINKING THE PUBLIC IN BROAD DAYLIGHT - MILLIONS OF DOLLARS HAVE BEEN WASTED BY SFPUC AND THERE IS MORE.

 

The Phelps Treatment Plant upgrade began with a $6 billion budget in 2012 and is on track to double to $12 billion by 2024. This trajectory could see us, the SF taxpayers, facing a staggering $20 Billion bill sooner than we think.

David Chu, the San Francisco - City Attorney and the General Manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), has taken the significant step of suing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) without first consulting the citizens of San Francisco in a Public Meeting. Your active involvement in this lawsuit is not just significant; it's vital, and your support is greatly valued. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued hundreds of Notices of Violations (NOVs) - to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) - the previous and current General Managers of the SFPUC-  ignoring the Clean Water Act - and defying local, state, and federal rules and regulations linked to safeguarding our water. 

Here is the matter before the Supreme Court:

https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/fed-lawsuit-san-francisco-stormwater.pdf

In 2002, the City and County of San Francisco realized that the infrastructure linked to the Clean Water system, the Sewer, and our dual system—taking raw sewage and rainwater—needed immediate attention.

A $4.6 billion bond measure was put on the ballot and passed, ensuring the management of clean water and wastewater infrastructure.

Following the bond measure's approval, the SFPU Commission focused on clean water and neglected the wastewater infrastructure. This choice has had significant implications for our local water system.

This deferred maintenance is never mentioned—for one reason, only stupidity. 

The SFPUC thinks and feels it can hoodwink us citizens while it wastes millions of dollars, and now it wants to waste more money by suing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Dennis Herrera, former SF City Attorney and current General Manager of the SFPUC - he is not an engineer - and as SF City Attorney - had access to all the documents that led to the indictment of the former SFPUC General Manager Harlan Kelly. Herrera is now in charge of the SFPUC - the fox guarding the chicken coop.

We have several outlets in the Bay, Force Mains 8 feet wide - where, on many occasions, the so-called effluents are laden with chemicals, toxic elements, lead, mercury, medicines, and variants—all this and more make it into our Bay.

As we know, our dual system - taken in the sewage and the rain - the deferred maintenance fails - every time we have heavy rain. Every time the Bay water is tested - in recent years - the EPA has issued SFPUC with a Notice of Violations (NOVs). 

If the SFPUC does not behave itself - it will have to pay EPA as much as $66,000 a day - this matter is now - before our Supreme Court - the Conservative Judges favoring SFPUC and the liberal judges - favoring the Clean Water Act.

The Clean Water Act is a Standard that focuses on Clean Water - and has rules and regulations that charge those who do not behave themselves - to pollute, contaminate, and destroy all that was pristine - thousands of years ago. 

California and the Bay Area entities like the SFPUC and the former SF Water Department - have contaminated the Bay in just one hundred and 150 years.

We get our water from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. The pristine water travels to Crystal Springs, enters San Francisco, and is stored in large Reservoirs like University Mound.

SFPUC has failed to maintain the Raker Act of 1913 mandates - the SFPUC recently had four Commissioners vacate their seats -  infighting within the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

Three Commissioners have been appointed but have yet to learn about the SFPU Commission and its many convoluted operations and projects. Who is fooling whom?

These seats were filled with a few weeks - to make a quorum - I will be attending the next meeting on October 22, 2024, in Room 400 at SF City Hall - the meeting will start at 1:30 pm.

San Francisco was a great city, but not anymore.

Thank God we have some advocates like Peter Drekmeier, the Sierra Club, and the many blessed young women and men in San Francisco who embrace values and understand the Clean Water Act.

Dwayne Jones—it has been a while since he was indicted. We are awaiting the day when justice and fair play prevail.

In the interim, the many indictments within the SFPUC are still ongoing - you may have heard about Dwayne Jones, Juliet Ellis, Harlan Kelly - others - too many to mention - over 30 on the list - waiting in line to sing the blues.