Service Alerts
Your service may be interrupted for a variety of reasons. We make every effort to notify customers before interrupting service if a service outage is related to planned maintenance or improvement activities. However, emergency repairs require service to be shut off without advance notice. SFPUC crews work tirelessly 24/7 to monitor the system and respond to water main breaks, power outages, and sewer issues regardless of weather, holiday, or time of day. If you are experiencing a water, power, or sewer emergency or service problem call our 24-hour hotline at 3-1-1 or (415) 701-2311 from outside SF or log on at sf311.org.
Service interruptions are posted on Nextdoor by neighborhood and may be listed below.
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Temporary Water Changes due to System Operations 9/15/25
Starting on Monday September 15, 2025, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission crews will bring College Hill Reservoir back into service following the successful completion of major upgrades. The Reservoir has been out of service since 2022.Water Division staff will route water in a different pattern to connect to the reservoir. Because of this, some customers may experience temporary changes in water pressure and quality. Affected customers include those in portions of Bernal Heights, Mission, Castro, Civic Center, Western Addition, Japantown and Nob Hill.
Customers may notice a slight milky water appearance which is the result of air bubbles due to pressure changes and chlorine odor in their tap water during this period. Using a carbon filter (such as pitcher filters) or letting the water sit for a short time should address both of these issues. The operation will take two to three days to complete, and issues should resolve after that.
SFPUC water continues to meet all state and federal drinking water standards.
Please contact 311 for questions or to report a water quality issue.
Thank you for your patience.
Learn more about Water Main Breaks and Power Outages
Water Main Breaks
SFPUC operates and maintains 1,200 miles of water pipelines also called water mains in San Francisco. Approximately 20% of San Francisco’s water pipes are about 100 years old. Although we have an active program to replace aging and vulnerable water mains each year, we are not able to prevent all water main breaks. On average, there are between 100 to 200 water main breaks in our system per year. Learn more about water main breaks.
During a water main break, customers near the break may experience temporary changes to their water such as discolored water. Open the cold water tap as close to your meter (the sidewalk) as possible, and let it run for 3 to 5 minutes. If it is still brown or milky, wait one hour and repeat. Learn more about dirty or discolored water.
Power Outages
Power outages can occur for a variety of reasons – whether unplanned or planned. We recognize the inconvenience that a loss of electricity can cause. We want to make sure you are prepared in the event of a service interruption and how you can stay safe.
Learn more about power outages, including how to prepare for planned outages and what to do during an outage.