Utilizing Technology in Our Water System

If you were out yesterday in Crocker Industrial Park, passing through North Hill to be exact, you may have noticed some guys in orange safety vests and some with hard hats looking down into a 12' x 6' hole they had dug on the lawn.  They - Redwood Engineering and a couple staff from the Brisbane Public Works Dept. - were assessing the location of the existing facilities (i.e. gas, water) below ground.  They were doing this to see where a future flow control vault station could fit at the water supply turnout location (there are 5 total, in and around Brisbane).  The purpose for installing these flow control vault stations is simply so that the City has better control over the water it receives from San Francisco Public Utility Commission (SFPUC).

Wondering how technology is a part of all this?  Well currently, the City cannot monitor in real-time the flow of water as it comes through SFPUC's meter valves.  After the project is completed, City engineers will be able to do this through the SCADA, or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, computer at City Hall.  Inside the vault stations, new valves and pipes will also be installed.  Valves are necessary components of any water system, and these will be specially fitted with sensors which are able to respond to changes in water pressure or flow by opening or closing the valve.

So there you have it.  Technology's playing a part by the SCADA computer being able to "talk" to the valves from a remote location (City Hall), by closing and opening them, and the valves will be able to "talk back" to the SCADA computer by passing along data which the engineers at City Hall will use to closely monitor water quality, flow, and pressure.

There will be 4 more site investigations taking place today, next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to see where the existing facilities are located.  See below for the schedule and the approximate locations of where they'll be digging:

• Thursday September 30th - Friday October 1st | 100 San Francisco Ave.
• Monday October 4th - Tuesday October 5th | 11 San Bruno Ave. @ San Francisco Ave.
• Tuesday October 5th - Wednesday October 6th | 1150 San Bruno Ave. @ Bayshore Blvd.
• Wednesday October 6th - Thursday October 7th | Main Street

For the work taking place next Monday - Wednesday on both ends of San Bruno Ave. (at Bayshore and San Francisco), there will be traffic cones placed along the shoulder where they will be conducting site investigation work.  Additionally, two flagmen will be present at the intersection of Bayshore and San Bruno to help direct traffic.  Please exercise caution when driving through any of the above site investigation locations.  And, once again, thank you for your patience as work on this very important project commences!

Hillside Repairwork at San Bruno & Annis

With the sun beating down in Brisbane and Spare the Air Days being issued, it's hard to imagine winter rains pelting down.  But such will likely be the case here, in just a few short months.  In an effort to get ahead of any winter rain-related issues, and to ensure the safety of the community, it's imperative that preventative measures are addressed, and acted upon during these more dry times.

During last winter's rains, a landslide occurred on the uphill side of San Bruno Avenue immediately south of the intersection of San Bruno & Annis. The primary cause of the slide appears to be stormwater runoff from Annis. Review of the slide area also indicates that ground-burrowing animals such as gophers may have weakened the slope, making it vulnerable to the impact of the overland flow during heavy rains.

In order to restore that portion of the hillside before winter arrives, repairwork is scheduled to begin this week. Amongst the slope repairs will be the removal of unsuitable material, placement of engineered fill and geogrid material for soil improvement, and the installation of an asphalt concrete curb at the top of the slope (on Annis) to direct water away from this area.

Thank you for your patience as we work quickly on getting this important safety project completed.

Tomorrow is Another Spare the Air Day

As indicated on our Spare the Air widget to the left on our blog, today marks a Spare the Air day and we've been notified by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) that tomorrow, Tuesday Sept. 28th, will be the ninth Spare the Air Day of the summer.  Below are some of the clean air tips they recommend:

• Don't drive your car to work.  Instead, take public transit, join a carpool, telecommute, bicycle or walk.  Go to http://www.511.org/ for transit details.
• Avoid using aerosol household cleaners and personal care products.  Use liquid or gel products instead.
• Don't use gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment.
• Cook indoors, not on the barbeque.

Thank you for making clean air choices everyday!  For more information, visit the Spare the Air website at http://www.sparetheair.org/.

Weekend Fun in Brisbane



The Brisbane Lagoon, looking southwest, with Fisherman's Park to the left of the photo.

The 2010 Brisbane Lagoon Cleanup is taking place tomorrow from 9:00am - 12:00 Noon at Fisherman's Park.  This year, the Brisbane Parks, Beaches & Recreation Commission, in conjunction with the Brisbane Lions Club, South San Francisco Scavengers, Universal Paragon Corporation, and the California Coastal Commission are sponsoring this annual event.  Our Lagoon Cleanup coincides with the Worldwide Coastal Cleanup Day and gives you a chance to help improve the quality of life in Brisbane.  Bring your family and friends to the Brisbane Lagoon to remove garbage and debris from the shoreline around the Lagoon.  Plan to wear work clothes, bring gloves and sunscreen to assist with this work day.  Volunteers will be honored with a commemorative T-shirt, lunch and our special gratitude for a job well done.  We'll see you there!

After putting in some volunteering hours in the morning, why not join in on the BDW History Adventure Scavenger Hunt and Movie in the Park later that day? The fun starts at 4:00pm at the gazebo in the Community Park.  It's sure to be a fun time for people of all ages as they learn some history about Brisbane, catch a movie in the Park, all while supporting Brisbane Dance Workshop.  Don't forget to come dressed as your favorite 50's character!

The Brisbane annual "Day in the Park" is only one week away!  From 10am - 5pm on Saturday, Oct. 2nd, the Community Park will come alive with musical performances, children's entertainment, carnival games, face painting, bounce houses, and tables to tell you more about City initiatives (the Open Space & Ecology Committee will have a table showing examples of invasive and native plants) and other City-sponsored programs (the Alliance will provide information on the 2 commuter shuttles Brisbane residents may ride for FREE with a shuttle pass, with the first 250 visitors receiving a shuttle pass/ID holder).  There will also be FOOD from the Women's Club (baked goods 'n ice cream), Lion's Club (BBQ), Eagle's Club (nachos), Brisbane Youth Sports Association (sodas/water), Mothers of Brisbane (cotton candy) and Citizens for a Brisbane High School (corn on the cob). 

Also, the Brisbane Derby will be taking place once again at 8:00am at Plumas & San Francisco St. next Saturday as a kick-off to the "Day in the Park" celebration. It always makes for a fun time, watching on the sidelines as the most creatively-designed soap box cars race down San Francisco St., cheered on by on-lookers.  It may be an early start to the day, but boy is it worth it!  Come and witness the community and volunteer spirit that's alive and well in Brisbane!

Firefighters Needing to Return to Station 93 for Time Being

The Brisbane Firefighters, who returned to town this past Sunday after spending three nights in Daly City, will need to return to Station 93 in Daly City (464 Martin St., Daly City) during the evening hours for the time being.  A trailer, located beside the Fire Station on Bayshore Blvd., was originally intended to be used for staging purposes and thus did not contain sleeping quarters, a shower, kitchen, or have proper outdoor lighting.  Additionally, the Brisbane fire engine needed to be parked outdoors at night due to there being mold detected in the bay/garage area of the fire station.  Earlier this morning, fire administration and city management decided that in the interest of the firefighters' safety, the best solution at this point in time was to relocate the firefighters back to Daly City during the evenings, but have them be in Brisbane during the day.  In Daly City, the firefighters will have gotten the rest they need, have ready access to the fire engine and their gear, and be able to shower and cook while concurrently, a longer-term solution is worked upon and investigated.  We will update the community when any other additional information becomes available.  Thank you for your understanding and patience regarding this matter.

Brisbane Firefighters Back in Town

Last Thursday, we blogged how the Brisbane firefighters were being relocated in the evenings to Station 93 in Daly City due to severe mold being detected at the Brisbane fire station (Station 81). We are happy to report that as of Sunday night, the Brisbane firefighters were back to spending evenings in Brisbane in temporary trailers. They will continue to do so as City staff works in conjunction with North County Fire Authority to provide more permanent living quarters for our firefighters. In the meantime, we are just thrilled to have them back not only for the daytime, but 24/7!

PG&E Gas Transmission Line Information Released

Earlier this afternoon, a PG&E representative informed the City that they had just developed an online tool that provides helpful information about their natural gas transmission system. The webpage can be found at: www.pge.com/pipelineplanning. Maps showing the gas transmission pipelines within PG&E's service territory can be downloaded (see right-hand column of the page, halfway down -- select 'San Francisco'). It's able to be seen from the map that none of the blue gas lines run under residential Brisbane. In efforts to stay on top of the issue, however, City staff will be meeting with PG&E regarding the maintenance status of their gas transmission lines within Brisbane. As we are updated, we will pass this information on to the public through City Council meetings, the website, here on the blog, and in the City News.