Currents Digital Currents July/August 2017 | Page 2

YOU CAN’T LIVE A DAY WITHOUT ME!
Remember the Gold Rush? I do! The first 250 miles of my
immense underground sewer system were built as tens of
thousands of people rushed to San Francisco to find their
fortunes. Unfortunately, in the mid-1800’s I was made of
trenches and tunnels that carried raw sewage to the bay or
ocean. Yuck! Your forefathers quickly realized as the
population boomed, the good times wouldn’t last unless I was
upgraded to better handle the growing waste problem. And
voilà, I, your modern combined sewer system was born! the City connects to me. I send dirty water to the treatment
plants and return cleaned water to the bay and ocean while
“digesting” the recyclable solids for reuse. Now the bad news
— in addition to my sewer pipes, my largest treatment plant
and other “grey” infrastructure are old, and I’m definitely not
prepared for a major earthquake. I find myself cracking,
leaking, and sometimes I smell really bad — I’m sure some of
you know what I mean. I don’t mean to be vain, but it is time
for a major make-over.
Today, my system includes over 1,000 miles of sewer pipes
spread out under the city, along with 25,000 catch basins to
capture rain, 27 pump stations, and 3 treatment plants. The
good news is every shower, bathtub, sink, toilet, and drain in After several years of planning, the Sewer System
Improvement Program is underway, and as far as
I’m concerned it can’t happen soon enough!
sfwater.org/ssip
2 currents | JULY/AUGUST 2017
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