FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 16, 2025
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City Agencies Hold Joint Emergency Planning and Training Exercise on Eve of Loma Prieta Anniversary
SFPUC and SFFD bring upgraded infrastructure and firefighting readiness to northern waterfront
SAN FRANCISCO – Upgrades to San Francisco’s unique Emergency Firefighting Water System were highlighted today during a live emergency training and testing exercise with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, San Francisco Fire Department and the Department of Emergency Management.
Constructed in the decades following the 1906 earthquake and fire that devastated San Francisco, the Emergency Firefighting Water System is an entirely separate system from San Francisco’s drinking water system. It’s designed for fighting large fires, particularly after an emergency, like an earthquake. San Francisco is the only city in the country with a dedicated firefighting system of this kind.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission took over management of the system in 2010. Since then, the SFPUC, in collaboration with the Fire Department and Public Works, has systematically upgraded and expanded the system to provide a seismically resilient, high-pressure firefighting backup to the municipal drinking water system that most cities rely on to fight fires.
At the center of today’s exercise was Pump Station No. 2, originally built in 1913 and recently upgraded by the SFPUC to withstand a 7.9-magnitude earthquake. The station, located at the northern tip of Van Ness Avenue beside Aquatic Cove, can also operate if the electric grid is down. It will help firefighters access an essentially limitless supply of water from San Francisco Bay for firefighting when they need it most – during a large fire or natural disaster.
The joint drill was the first full test of Pump Station No. 2 after the upgrades had been completed. Today’s exercise came on the eve of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake anniversary.
“Safety is at the heart of every decision we make. Today’s joint training exercise marks the first live test of the upgraded Pump Station No. 2, bringing together the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, the Fire Department, and the Department of Emergency Management to demonstrate the system’s readiness in the event of an earthquake,” said Mayor Lurie. “Thank you to everyone who continues this work — our city departments, engineers, workers, first responders, and residents who remain vigilant.”
“A major earthquake in San Francisco is a question of when, not if,” said SFPUC General Manager Dennis Herrera. “Our job is to be as prepared as possible. That’s why we’ve upgraded and expanded San Francisco’s Emergency Firefighting Water System to provide extra layers of protection. From new cisterns across our city to seismic improvements at reservoirs and tanks to modernized pump stations and pipelines, we are making sure this unique system continues to deliver when our city needs it most.”
“San Francisco is the only city in the nation with a high-pressure water network dedicated solely to firefighting. This system will be instrumental for combating significant fires that may arise after a disaster," said Fire Chief Dean Crispen. "Equally important as the infrastructure is the training we provide. Exercises like this ensure that our firefighters are well-prepared to work effectively with the system to keep San Francisco safe.”
“On the eve of the Loma Prieta anniversary, we train, test, and tighten our coordination because resilience is best built before disasters,” said Department of Emergency Management Executive Director Mary Ellen Carroll. “The Emergency Firefighting Water System is a critical lifeline, and exercises like today’s prove that the system will be ready when San Franciscans need it most.”
“As Supervisor, my top priority is enhancing public safety, which includes strengthening our fire response capacity. The recent LA fires have highlighted the critical need for reliable water sources to protect our neighborhoods," said District 2 Supervisor Stephen Sherrill. "I'm grateful to both the SFPUC and the Fire Department for these investments to improve our disaster response within District 2.”
“The voter-approved Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response Bond program is vital to bolstering San Francisco’s Emergency Firefighting Water System,” said Public Works Director Carla Short. “Public Works is proud to manage this bond program and to provide hydraulic engineering support, which have made critical upgrades like the seismic improvements at Pump Station No. 2 possible. In close partnership with the SFPUC, we are delivering the resilient infrastructure that safeguards San Francisco.”
During the drill, the pump station pumped bay water into an isolated portion of the Emergency Firefighting Water System. The water then flowed from a high-pressure hydrant into Fire Department hoses to the top of an extended ladder from a Fire Department ladder truck, where it was sprayed back into San Francisco Bay. The drill showed how the system can provide critical firefighting water supplies even if San Francisco’s regular water system and existing backup systems are disrupted.
Layers of Fire Protection
San Francisco has multiple systems to fight fires. The first is the standard-pressure municipal drinking water system connected to approximately 8,500 smaller white hydrants. These are located on every block throughout the City and are regularly used by the Fire Department to fight fires. These fire hydrants are fed by 12 reservoirs and six tanks in the City, which are supplied by additional reservoirs on the Peninsula, in the East Bay, and in the High Sierra.
The next layer of protection is the separate high-pressure Emergency Firefighting Water System connected to approximately 1,500 larger hydrants. (This system used to be called the Auxiliary Water Supply System, or AWSS.) The Emergency Firefighting Water System consists of a resilient 135-mile pipeline network, a high elevation reservoir, two large capacity tanks, two bay water pumping stations, and bay water intakes. The system has unique capabilities, including the ability to deliver water at the high pressures needed by the Fire Department to fight large fires. Additionally, it has the ability to use water from the bay as an unlimited source for firefighting if needed.
Since the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission took over management of the Emergency Firefighting Water System in 2010, it has invested about $200 million of Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response bonds to upgrade the system across the City, including completing the installation of 30 new stand-alone cisterns to provide additional water sources for firefighting throughout the City. There are now over 200 of these cisterns across San Francisco, each holding an average of 75,000 gallons of water. The SFPUC has also made upgrades and repairs to existing pump stations and reservoirs, and the construction of new pipelines, including one in the Candlestick Point/Carroll Ave. area.
Pump Station No. 2
The most recent project to be completed in the system is Pump Station No. 2, which can deliver up to 10,800 gallons of bay water per minute into the Emergency Firefighting Water System. Together with Pump Station No. 1 at Fire Department headquarters, Pump Station No. 2 gives the system the ability to draw water from San Francisco Bay when needed. Seismic upgrades at Pump Station No. 2 include a new steel roof, a rebuilt generator room and reinforced concrete walls with interior steel bracing. These are among multiple improvements completed to ensure the station can operate after a major earthquake.
Originally powered by steam boilers and turbines, Pump Station No. 2 was converted to diesel in 1975. As part of that work, the City preserved historic equipment, including one of the original pump turbines, the steam boiler façade, and the electrical switchboard, under guidance from the California Office of Historic Preservation. Today, the station continues to use the original pump casings to move bay water into the Emergency Firefighting Water System. Local San Francisco workers performed nearly one-third of the total hours on the station upgrades, and more than half of the apprentice hours were completed by city residents, exceeding the City's Local Hire requirements.
Future Expansion and Improvement
The SFPUC has identified another $250 million in funding to add an additional layer of fire protection to include a Potable Emergency Firefighting Water System on the west side of the City.
This seismically resilient system will serve drinking water during normal operations but can switch to delivering water at high pressure from our drinking water system or from Lake Merced during emergencies. Portions of this new 16-mile pipeline have been constructed, but the majority of it is in the planning and design phases. Those portions will be constructed in phases over decades. The new westside system will augment existing backup emergency fire protection already in place in the western portion of the City, including cisterns and the Fulton Street Emergency Hydrants.
About the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) is a department of the City and County of San Francisco. It delivers drinking water to 2.7 million people in the San Francisco Bay Area, collects and treats wastewater for the City and County of San Francisco, and meets 75% of the electricity demand in San Francisco. The SFPUC’s mission is to provide 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 the agency's care. Learn more at sfpuc.gov.
About the San Francisco Fire Department
The San Francisco Fire Department prides itself on resilience through training, education, community partnerships, and a proactive approach to safety. By focusing on fire, life safety and response systems, such as the pumphouse, our department is well-equipped to meet the growing needs of our communities. Learn more at sf-fire.org.