San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

omg! the sfpuc management team, vague, evasive, rude, argumentative, obnoxious and clueless, rich and powerful.
our experience is one that should be shared with all san franciscans and the sfpuc.
why should sfwd customers be forced to allow the sfwd inspectors into our homes? this is part of the procedure used by the sfwd if you are asking for reduced charges — sort of a care program — like pge has for their customers.
the sfwd is a non-​transparent entity. yet their rule to customers is «do as we say or there will be problems»!
what are we, slaves during roman times?
we are expected to trust the sfpuc /​sfwd?
unfortunately they do not trust their customers. if a customer states they have no money, the sfwd should believe them. nowadays in this once beautiful city of ours… everyone is broke!!!
the request for a lower monthly bill because the customer has fallen on hard times, is ill, disabled, out of work… and has applied for the sfwd’s reduced charges program… should not, i repeat not, equate to opening their house for this nazi-​type inspection.
harlan kelly and the sfpuc, just take the basics as proof. you don’t have to examine a person’s private domain to find what you’re looking for.
it’s unconstitutional and unethical.
reminiscent of hitler’s régime.
cease and desist!

The fact that water arrives regularly through pipes and into our home is the only reason this is not a 1 star review. (I have to give them credit for providing a crucial service after all.)
But the billing is catastrophically broken right now. Can anyone shed any light on what’s happened to them? We are not using automatic billing, but just receiving an e-​bill. The major problems started about one year ago when all billing notices stopped completely, and then out of the blue came a «past due» notice in big bold threatening print. Okay, we paid immediately. I called them but got the runaround.
Then, for about four months, for the first time in the history of my having a water bill in San Francisco, we had *exactly* the same bill for four straight months. WTF? I know we didn’t use (and flush to the sewer) the precise same volumes for four straight months. One of those months we were largely out of town anyway, etc, etc.
Last month, with no real explanation, a bill arrives that is over four times the amount billed before, with no explanation. We (stupid humans) pay them right away, online, and two weeks later, what happens? Yes, a big bill in the mail saying we’re past due, and it includes a new totally random and high amount. It is really as if a monkey has been trained to type out a random number and send it toward the house that previously paid.
It makes no freaking sense, and even though I don’t have time to play phone torture with them, they are leaving me NO choice. (Well, no choice other than grousing with my friends on Unilocal that is!)
ADVICE: get a rain barrel. D’oh! Wrong century to try that.
PS: I can’t believe they got five stars for changing a light bulb all while emitting stochastic bills all over the city based on some Fibonacci-​like sequence of calendar days.

The SF PUC guards a massive watershed land south of San Francisco Jealously.
The beef is simple: For the past 100 years, a handful of watershed employees, rangers and politicians have used these jewels as their personal reserves to boat, fish, and hike in some cases, live. All we asked for are the same opportunities. Nobody wants to see any of these gems blemished in any way and we believe that it is possible for nature and hikers to peacefully exist together in this area.
For those who think that opening the watershed to hikers will destroy it, I disagree for these reasons: The East side of the Lakes (San Andreas and Crystal Springs) has been open to the public for years. The access to the water is restricted by a fence that does not disrupt views of the lakes.
Furthermore there are several thousand acres of land (with and existing trail system) that are nowhere near either of these reservoirs. Lake Pilarcitos was the original man made water source for San Francisco using redwood flumes they moved the water for the city. It to my knowledge has not been used as a municipal water source for more than a century.
Local State and County parks and the repair they are in demonstrate that we are a responsible public cares for and cherish our outdoor lands. I have not heard any controversy over public access in Big Basin or Muir Woods lately. Simply manage the trail system, do not allow vehicle access and improve the quality of life of the public in San Francisco and San Mateo Counties dramatically.
These lands we are discussing are at least as wonderful. If you talk to the workers who work and live there they will assure you of that.
On on the southern end of these lands (off 92) there is an active rock quarry and also a working garbage dump both of which are not open to the public. If these corporations are allowed to tear up the earth on these lands, why are we not allowed to be peacefully walking across them?
Tom Stienstra writer for the SF Chronicle wrote in 2003:
«The biggest shock will be that the 23,000-acre Crystal Springs Watershed is not the pristine wilderness that many imagine. Instead of trails, access is on roads. There is also the distinct sense that somebody is living here. That’s because there are eight homes subsidized for water department employees, so the roads are driven regularly. In addition, there are also two rock quarries, heavy equipment, boat docks, boats and picnic sites for the water department folks.
That is why the array of excuses the Water Department has used to stonewall public access are so hollow, the latest being „the threat to endangered species.“ Meanwhile, the Water Department uses a massive weeder every year to cut vegetation down to stubble along the service roads, and then warns that allowing people on the same roads puts an endangered species of garter snake at risk, along with the small flowers called silver lupine that are habitat for an endangered species of butterfly.»
We take the position that this land belongs to all of us, to enjoy and protect. Not simply a few select few who keep these lands to themselves, and defend their actions with hollow arguments.

watch your bill go higher now monthly bills come in
tier rates, this month the water bill was $ 100 its gone up $ 25 a month
gas and electric bill is only,$ 75,the bill used to be $ 40 for 2 months now its
$ 200,thats with low flow toilets, showers and taps, a lot of the rise is since the smart meters came in, where is all the money they are making going, and they say the rates are going up again, soon it will be cheaper to buy bottled water

I’ve been driving by this location random times noticing a sign stating this will be SFPUC’s new office building. I absolutely like the looks of San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Headquarters cause their new office building looks very modernized. Constructing a new office building is one of the biggest investments San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has made. Overall, this is a very nice new building providing a comfortable work environment for employees working here.
Want to learn more about this building? Feel free to visit
to read about the facts of this new building. This is one of the nicest buildings I’ve been in.
Update for 08/​02/​2013:
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has their offices located in a modern and spacious building. The entire building is very clean. I came in today to submit my water bill payment. The staff members are friendly and efficient. If you want to save that stamp and submit your water bill payment in person, then stop by their payment processing office on the main floor. Overall, very satisfied with their services so I’m coming back here to when I want to save a stamp.
Cash, Checks, Credit and Debit Cards are acceptable forms of payment!
Business Hours:
Monday — Friday 8:00 am — 5:00 pm
FYI:
Entering the building through Golden Gate Ave entrance? There are security guards standing there. If you are there submitting your water bill payment, then tell them you’re submitting your water payment. If not, you may have to enter the building as visitor status.
No worries, there aren’t any security checkpoints upon entry. If you’re entering the courthouse, city hall, state and federal buildings, then that’s when you’ll be going through a security checkpoint.

DO NOT sign up for the online auto-​pay billing service!
The system is completely broken; it double-​charged me for about $ 780, and it takes more than 6 weeks for them to process a refund.

Apparently, a little over half the street lights in SF are maintained by the SFPUC (the others are owned by PG&E). A street light had burned out on my block so I filled out an online request form to have it repaired. The form said resolution would take 2 – 30 days so I figured it could possibly take up to a month for it to be repaired.
I don’t know if this light was owned by PG&E or SFPUC but whoever fixed it did it in 1 day! Awesome response time.

A couple of months ago I took over the water bill from my former roommate. When I set this up I mistakenly thought I had paid the full amount due because I had set up several other accounts which I had paid in full.
This morning my roommate found a notice that had not been there the night before stating that they were going to turn our water off unless he paid our water bill in full which he did over the phone on his way out the door.
This evening I returned from an appointment to find that the water had been turned off anyway. This was my first indication that the account was delinquent. I called and the office was closed. I went through to report this as a water emergency (at this time I had no idea that there was any threat of the water being turned off due to non-​payment) and the lady who answered the phone told me it was off due to non payment and there was nothing she could do for me. She became very agitated. I imagine she had received many calls like mine that day because whoever is turning the water off probably hates his job and is passing their pain to us.
When they promise if you pay now over the phone your water won’t get turned off, they lie. When there website says they will give you 48 hour notice, they lie. No curtesy call. There is no accountability with this company and they don’t care about the customer. They have no competition. You are just the inconvenience they have to deal with day to day, and they don’t care.
I hate them.

Not that many stars because the rates have gone up so much over the years and I believe I may have been paying for part of my landlord’s water. not sure but it seems quite expensive for just me living here. Got put on hold for 15 minutes but spoke to a REAL, LIVE person. She was thorough and I was done with that all in five minutes. Farewell SFPW, I will not miss your Hetch Hetchy water!