Active Alerts

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. Learn more or review active service alerts.

Water Quality Comparative Illustrations

One part per million? billion? trillion? quadrillion? quintillion?  Stylized image of a droplet of water

A part per MILLION is like one drop of water in a bathtub

Stylized image of a bathtub filled nearly to the brim with blue water

 

A part per BILLION is like one drop of water in a backyard swimming pool

Stylized image of a rectangular above-ground swimming pool filled with blue water and a step ladder leading into it

 

A part per TRILLION is like one drop of water in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools

Stylized image of 20 rectangles colored in blue with red and white striped lines through them so that they represent 20 swimming pools

 

A part per QUADRILLION is like four drops of water in a football stadium full of water

Stylized image of a football stadium showing stadium lights, bleachers and a field with yard line markings

 

A part per QUINTILLION is like one drop of water in about 4 Lake Tahoes (Lake Tahoe holds 38 trillion gallons of water)

Four identical images of an outline of Lake Tahoe, each image is colored blue